7/24/2019 She shall rise!Regina Burns is the owner and founder of RISE Event Production, a full-service event production company specializing in corporate event marketing and luxury wedding planning. Regina's primary focus is to form the unbreakable bond that exists between coordinator and client; one full of trust, loyalty and endless laughter. She will bring innovation, creativity and one hell of a good time to an event of any kind. What got you into event production? My guardian angel, my mama, Diana Burns. She owned her own special events production company and would bring me along to her events; I even had a company polo with “jr.” on the back! I remember watching her work at home, casting models for a fashion show at the MFA Boston, or organizing her production binder for the next work trip to Block Island. On-site, I would look up to her in amazement; seeing her work, designs and visions come to life -- all while bringing nothing but joy to every person in the room, I fell in love. She is my inspiration. What brought you back to working on the east coast after your move to California? A forever goal of mine has always been to follow in my mother’s footsteps and go into business for myself, with my headquarters on the east coast. I come from a family of warrior women and entrepreneurs who have all made me believe that anything is possible; my mother - events, my grandmother - real estate, my aunt - interior design and my brother opened his own business while attending college in Boston too, the strength of entrepreneurship is in my blood! I knew I couldn’t just open a business after design school; I wasn’t ready. I knew that I had to make it out to LA, work in the mecca of entertainment and events, and soak it ALL up. So I found a job, and I went. I was zooming out in Cali; luxury weddings, special events, celebrity appearances, you name it. I was quickly promoted to Director of Special Events Department, while still producing weddings. Every project that was offered to me, I said yes and then created the capacity for more to come. It was such an exciting time in my life, with so much personal growth and professional development; I am forever grateful. I eventually hit a point in LA where things were not aligning: my new apartment fell through, in the most confusing, creepy, you can’t make this up kind of way.. it led to nothing but conflict and stress - and then it hit me. Maybe the universe was trying to tell me something? Perhaps I was ready? I did a lot of soul searching within and had some different conversations with my fiance, my brother and my best friend who also lives in LA, and we all landed on the same verdict. I was ready. I came, I saw, I conquered, and it was time to channel my inner Diana strength, take all the tools that I gathered, all of the experience I absorbed and went for it. I was on the next flight out to Boston. What has been the biggest difference between working on the West Coast vs. the East Coast? Other than the winter? LOL. But seriously, because there is no winter, there is a full 12-months worth of perfect-weather potential, this makes the volume of opportunities for events massive. Out on the west coast, there is not only an event happening every day, but 50 events are also happening every day or more. So many industries are housed there, because of the weather, that you can tap into - think music, film, television, sports, fashion, technology, automotive, real estate, food, hospitality, media, etc. There is an abundance of celebration. It’s about time the east coast gets on that level - with a little help from RISE! What is your favorite type of event to work on? I love them all! Special events allow me the creative freedom to be as wild as I can be. I am usually given two things from clients at the start of a special event planning journey; 1. A goal, and 2. Trust. This means that the planning, design, and the overall vision to get to that goal, is all mine to create. On the flip side, weddings pull at my heart-strings. There aren’t words to describe what it is like to be a part of a couple’s journey to “I do.” Being able to give the gift of peace and time to my couples and their favorite people along that journey so they can enjoy one of the best times of their lives -- no words. My heart fills up whenever we go live on the wedding day; I cry EVERY time, it never gets old. What is the most rewarding part of owning your own business? I do everything I do with a heart-centered approach. I love creating events and producing events for people to enjoy. An event can bring enjoyment to an infinite amount of people - it could be an intimate dinner party with ten guests, a wedding for 150, or a large tech convention with over 100,000 in attendance, the event experience is reaching each one of those people. To be a mad scientist behind that experience, knowing you’ve brought genuine joy to people, that is the most rewarding part. What is the most outrageous or unusual request you’ve been asked to do while planning an event? Sexy firefighters, lighting off fireworks, at a 70th birthday party! [#GOALS] What does being a woman business owner mean to you? It is a superpower. As a woman business owner, you have the opportunity to inspire, to reach people in a way that you never knew you could. It is a proud representation of the women entrepreneurs that personally paved the way for me; my mom, grandmother and aunt, and a proud representation of every girl out there with a dream to jump on the journey of entrepreneurship. If believing in myself can inspire even just one girl to begin believing in herself??? Game, set, match. What could be greater than that? That is the superpower of being a woman business owner. Every business faces its challenges, how are you empowered to overcome yours? Evolution. Every day my business is faced with a challenge, and, as the owner, it is my challenge to overcome. These challenges force me to dig deep, take risks, be creative, resilient, and tenacious, and I always, always, always come out greater than I was the day before. I know that the challenges will test me, they will test my mind, my patience, my overall balance in life, and with every chance I have to face them, I come out stronger. I learn. I grow. I evolve. I don’t ever want the challenges to stop, and I am so empowered to go head to head with any and everyone in the efforts of personal evolution. Game on. What is the most important thing when planning an event? Having a planner! To end, please tell our readers (in one word) how you would describe your boss-chik business? Here. Be sure to follow this chik-tastic SHERO and stay connected via social media! Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest: @riseeventproduction.
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6/26/2019 A Dream Baked with loveSheila Coon is the Founder and Chief Baker of Hot Oven Cookies, an artisanal mobile and retail bakery specializing in fresh-baked, gourmet cookies with innovative flavors. Her passion was rooted in cooking and the service of others through delicious food, which was bestowed upon her at a young age thanks to her mom and abuela. Sheila’s mission is to “share the cookie love” with everyone that walks into her store and throughout our local community! What does being a women business owner mean to you? I created Hot Oven Cookies as a solution to problems I was facing as a single mom of seven, needing to be self-employed and to also fulfill my role as sole provider. What was birthed was not just a business but EMPOWERMENT; a source of sustainable employment that I could run WHENEVER, HOWEVER, and WHEREVER that was convenient for me. How did you get started in baking? I first veered onto a path that was more solid: the law. While sitting for my LSATs, it prompted me to pursue a change and I decided that I wanted my work to be a passion, not an obligation. So I signed up for the Culinary Arts Institute at Holyoke Community College! What inspired you to turn baking into a business? It started when I was a child; my newly-divorced mom started a small cookie business to support my siblings and I. I was intrigued by the joy she exuded and was often unsure who was happier; my mom while making the cookies or the customer who received them. The people, noise and sweet chaos surrounding the cookies, baking and family centered meals were the recipe and catalyst to my decision to become a baker, and the foundation for launching Hot Oven Cookies. How is running a food truck different than running a brick-and-mortar store? There is more control and a set planning process with the truck. Because we use it most as a catering and marketing tool, we know ahead of time how many cookies are needed. Running a brick and mortar is a gamble because there is not a solid idea of how many cookies to make, which leads to not having enough or having too many. We have a system that tracks patterns, which is helpful but not foolproof. But with the store we are blessed to be in a place of comfort for those in need of a little (cookie) love. How do you come up with original and unique cookie flavors? When I was a culinary student at Holyoke Community College, I gravitated towards baking and would whip-up LOADS of desserts daily for my household. My children always gravitated towards cookies but "plain" cookies would not suffice, so I started a cookie book to track all of the creative flavors and are now have up to 500 flavors which we use at the shop and truck. What is the most rewarding part of owning your own business? Freedom. Empowerment. Peace. Joy. Hope, which hinges on plans to create a franchise business that gives others the opportunity to own an attainable and sustainable business. Every business faces it’s challenges, how are you empowered to overcome yours? All of the people that need me to succeed. Are there any new things on the horizon? We have plans to open another store in the next few months with a production and manufacturing space. It will be the base of operations, allowing us to expand throughout this area and Connecticut through micro-stores, Indoor Cookie Kiosks, and a Cookie Dough Subscription Service! To end, please tell our readers (in one word) how you would describe your boss-chik business? Dope! Be sure to follow this chik-tastic SHERO and stay connected via social media! Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter: @HotOvenCookies. 6/6/2019 June vlog: what's happening!June is here and we have never been more ready for BBQs, cocktails, and basically any excuse to hang with our favorite chiks. So strap on your sandals, tie your bikini, lather on the SPF, and get excited for some serious fun at our events coming up this month!
June 19 | 5:00pm EST |Beauty Batlles Lounge Boss Chik Ashley partnered with the Chiks for the grand opening of her new lounge. Come hang with us and enjoy live music, light refreshments, giveaways and a ribbon cutting ceremony. The new Batlles Beauty Lounge is located at 661 Front St. Chicopee, MA. See you there! June 27 | 5:00pm EST |Bubbles & Brews Who doesn't love an outdoor summer beer garden filled with banter, bubbles & brews?! Lets kick off summer together at White Lion Brewing Company Beer Garden located 1477 Main St. Springfield, MA at the Tower Square Park. *Pro tip- If you RSVP on the Facebook event page, you’ll get a bag filled with freebies. Who says you can’t enjoy a goodie bag as an adult?! Come enjoy and join our boss chik tribe in celebrating more success here in Western Massachusetts! Also a huge, huge, huge thank you to all our amazing sponsors: Pixel Studio White Lion Beer Company Bella Foodie Vision Entertainment Theme Cakes by Jolene 4/10/2019 Glow, lady, go!Katie Lipsmeyer, Founder and Chief Glow Officer, of Camp Glow It Up® produces multi- and single-day camps in the mountains of Western Massachusetts with an emphasis on fitness to inspire badassery , mindfulness to inspire centeredness, and intentional groups to inspire meaningful relationships in women at various stages in their lives. Camp Glow It Up offers a strong, specific curriculum and guided introspection designed to focus on mental, emotional, and physical states of our own exceptional identities. It promotes inclusivity and empowerment of self and others. The camps are all-inclusive, featuring nutritious meals with attention to specific dietary needs, lodging in the most beautiful parts of New England, and curated programs. Each camp includes fitness classes, yoga, hiking adventures, women’s circles, s’mores, arts 'n crafts, and dance parties. With the acknowledgement of their shared responsibility to invest in the next generation of women leaders, a portion of the proceeds goes toward sending girls involved in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program their own summer camp experience. Katie is a connector, an advocate, an explorer, a mother, and an entrepreneur. She is an award-winning personal trainer, fitness instructor, business owner, and event planner. She combines her passions for health and wellness, meaningful events, and human connection in this venture. She believes in the unstoppable force that women create when they come together, share their life’s wisdom, and find support in each other. She seeks to urge women to find their individual and collective voices at a crucial time in history. How did the idea for Camp Glow It Up come about? We are clearly living in a pivotal moment in history—one where marginalized groups are finding their voices and standing up for themselves in ways that wouldn't have been possible even just a decade ago. I identified a need within myself to speak up about issues of injustice but wanted to find a way to make an impactful change positively and intentionally. About a year and a half ago, I was at a point of transition and knew that I needed a venture in which I could unpack all this creative energy within me, while still serving others in a powerful way. In this climate of #MeToo and the Women's March, I saw a true need for women to come together in a safe space to pause and think about issues affecting us societally and personally. We need a chance to challenge ourselves, to break through boundaries that can be paralyzing to the soul. To me, it is now crucial to figure out together what we as socially-conscious women stand for in this new era. Yes, all those who identify as women between the ages of 25 and 85 are encouraged to attend our camps. How are you able to find time to juggle everyday life on top of this new start up? I will tell you, starting a new business is like birthing a second baby. And I just had my first actual baby only 15 months ago! It can be really difficult to find time. There are a lot of nights when I’m writing a newsletter instead of relaxing after an already busy day. But I believe in the intention of Camp Glow It Up® so strongly that I want to invest my time and resources before I ask anyone else to do the same. It also helps significantly that I have a stellar life partner who has my back 100 percent. When did you first launch Camp Glow It Up? We officially launched as a business over Thanksgiving of last year. Our first Kickoff Camp was March 29-31, 2019, at Nine Mountain Retreats in Plainfield, MA. It was a blast and a half! What do you feel is important for women to know about this new venture? All women are welcome, whether introverted or extroverted, whether coming with a friend or by themselves. Empowerment of ourselves AND others is a huge part of our camp culture, and we honor others’ perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. It should be said again: YOU are welcome here! What do you want your campers to take away from this unique experience? I would love for each woman to walk away from each camp with a sense of shared sisterhood and a validated grit to lead the life they have always wanted. How does the registration process work and how many more camp dates are available right now? People can register for camp right on the website at campglowitup.com. Upcoming camps: Our first day camp is this Saturday, April 13 in downtown Northampton. Glow Like a Mother Day Camp, which is a special Mother’s Day weekend edition of Camp Glow It Up. It’s the day before Mother’s Day (Saturday, May 11) in downtown Amherst. Show Your Glow Summer Camp July 19-21, 2019 at Nine Mountain Retreats in Plainfield, MA. Is this a costly program? Do you provide discounts for first time campers? I firmly believe that this experience is one-of-a-kind. Our campers find it an excellent investment in their own physical and mental well-being. We work hard to make it affordable, and we will fight to keep it that way. The best way for first-time campers to find a great deal is to sign up for our Camp Mail email list at campglowitup.com. Camp Mail members get first crack at discounts and early-bird price levels. Every business faces it’s challenges, how are you empowered to overcome yours? I have a list of core personal values and professional values. Whenever I face challenges, I refer to these two lists and figure out the best course of action based on these values. To end, please tell our readers (in one word) how you would describe your boss-chik business? A movement. Be sure to follow this chik-tastic SHERO and stay connected via social media! Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest: @campglowitup. One of the most anticipated TV programs aired yesterday. No, it was not the Super Bowl; it was the 86th Academy Awards. This is the biggest awards show of the year in which small golden figured heads all named Oscar were presented to actors and actresses for their portrayal in films that were deemed by the Academy as most noteworthy in the year 2014. 40.3 people on average tuned into the program but none of that 40.3 took home what all of the attendees took home that night. That something was called Swag Bags. Swag Bags are the goodie bags that every celebrity sitting in the Kodak Theater will be leaving with once the awards are over. Products backed by multi-million dollar companies are usually the typical products seen in these bags, but this year, there is a new product that is making a splash. The product is called the “DrainWig” and it is not your typical dream vacation or spa treatment, it is an everyday tool made by an everyday stay at home mom. This interesting contraption is designed to place into a drain in order to collect hair at the bottom of the drain to avoid clogging. Clogging the drain could mean thousands of dollars worth of damages and time for many people, even celebrities. The product’s designer is just as interesting as the invention itself. Jennifer Briggs, a stay at home mom could not be more thrilled. She never would have thought that her product, retailed at 12.95, would ever see the insides of a Swag Bag. Briggs said of the experience, as “Words can’t express how exciting that was for me.” We can all take a look at the “DrainWig” and revel in how lucky Briggs was to land such an opportunity. But more importantly, we should take the time to reaffirm ourselves that products do not need to be made with the most cutting edge materials and reinvent how we live our lives. Products such as DrainWig show consumers that simple designs that subtly improve everyday life are considered revolutionary. -Jackie Tan, chikmedia Intern |
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