LEAVE YOUR MARK: Freshly Brewed Career Advice with Aliza Licht

Tyler McCall has established herself as an indispensable fashion figure. As a staunch proponent of inclusive sizing years before it was the norm, Tyler's main focus has been on the issues which are changing and shaping the fashion business to be more inclusive. With extensive knowledge of fashion, pop culture, and beauty, Tyler is the Editor-In-Chief of Fashionista.com, a website regarded as one of the most influential voices covering fashion news, criticism, and career advice for the industry and influential fashion-focused consumers. She's come a long way from her days as an undergrad at the University of Florida, where she used to leave comments on the site religiously. She now continues to leave her mark, expanding readers' minds on what can be fashionable beyond the typical margins of the industry.

Prior to being the Editor-In-Chief at Fashionista.com, McCall spent most of her career rising in the ranks at the platform. From being an intern, editorial assistant to senior associate editor, Tyler's fashion interest eventually led her to a brief experience as Digital Fashion Editor at Teen Vogue and Social Media Manager at Vogue, before returning back to Fashionista.com as Deputy Editor. During her climb, she learned some valuable lessons, all of which she shares in this episode.

As a loyal fan of Gossip Girl, she now channels that dedicated energy into #WaldorfWednesdays, a recurring series dedicated to Blair Waldorf's style, and #SerenaSaturdays, devoted to Serena van der Woodsen's style on her Instagram. After becoming an expert on the subject, she was invited to lend a hand when the show rebooted, proving that your fan passion can lead to unique opportunities.

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Amy Errett's multifaceted career has ranged from founding and operating companies to investing in startups to volunteer nonprofit leadership. But then she left it all to create Madison Reed, an omnichannel beauty brand that is challenging industry titans in the hair color space. Noticing that women only had two options when coloring their hair - Purchase a low-quality, cheap box from a drugstore or go to an expensive salon, Amy aimed to create an innovative option. But where Amy is truly innovating is in the way she leads her company. With the mantra that employees can bring their whole selves to work and a policy of openness and sharing where the entire company has lunch with Amy and coffee with Amy weekly, she's building a culture that's more like a family than anything else. Not to mention she's paying her colorists as salaried employees who don't have to rent their chairs like the rest of the hair color industry and also receive full benefits. When her stores closed during the pandemic, she continued to pay them, moved them all over to the call center, and taught them new skills. 

Prior to founding Madison Reed, Amy was a General Partner responsible for the Bay Area office of Maveron; a leading venture capital firm co-founded by former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz - focused on investments in consumer facing companies. Before Maveron, Amy was CEO of Olivia, where she repositioned the travel business as a complete lifestyle company and also where she was delivered her biggest career blow. Amy is the proof that women belong at the top. Amy founded Madison Reed with over 30 years of business and operating expertise as a four-time entrepreneur, venture capitalist and social-mission visionary. In 2015 and 2018, Amy was named one of the "Bay Area's Most Influential Women in Business" by the San Francisco Business Times. She was also a finalist for Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2018 Award in the Northern California region, which she won in 2006 for the consumer category. She was also featured on Fast Company’s first ever Queer 50 list of LGBTQ women and nonbinary innovators in business and tech in 2020. In this episode, Amy shares her truths in both her failures and successes. If you want a tutorial on how to be a leader and inspire greatness, this is the episode for you.  

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When Lisa Maynard-Atem started as the first-ever social media strategist at Harrods, she had her work cut out for her. Over 7.5 years, she took their following from 30,000 to over 2.5M, making them one of the most followed luxury department stores in the world - their Instagram channel went from zero to 1.1M under her leadership. As happy and successful as she was, Lisa is generally uncomfortable with being comfortable, and she decided to head out on her starting The Social Word, her consultancy. But as the daughter of a Father who works for the UN and a Mother who is a charity worker, Lisa grew up knowing that giving back to society would be her true calling. Her personal experience with racial discrimination and George Floyd's murder made her realize that she wanted to do something more meaningful with her digital superpowers. Today, as the Managing Director of Black United Representation Network CIC (BURN), she's a passionate campaigner who works tirelessly to support black business and black representation focused on the economic and social empowerment of the Black community in the UK. In this episode, you'll learn about Lisa's experience with racism, how she handled it, and how she's paying her experience forward, why she's not comfortable being comfortable, and why you need to drown out the noise and focus on what matters.

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A self-described "accidental fashion drone," the idea of working in fashion never really seemed to be on Steven Kolb's radar. Today, Steven is the Chief Executive Officer of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), the trade association for the American fashion industry. He oversees all operations for the American fashion industry's group of 500 designers. He manages CFDA's membership, activities, and philanthropic efforts such as Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, disaster relief, and HIV/AIDS. In this episode, Steven shares the importance of cultivating relationships and making an impression that lasts even when you're not in the room. As a somewhat shy person, Steven has always favored playing number two and knowing his function in any given situation. He also reminds us that no matter how senior you get, sometimes you have to tell yourself that you're in the room because you belong there. Steven recommends taking stock in what you're good at,  knowing what you don't know, and not being afraid to ask questions. We also dive deep into the fashion industry right now, the changes that have come since the pandemic, and what it takes to make it as a designer today.

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Tracey Baker-Simmons met L.A. Reid and Babyface while waitressing at Houstons in Atlanta. She had no clue who they were. They handed her their Amex to pay for the bill, and she saw that they had a production company. She asked if they were hiring, and they invited her to come to the studio. That chance encounter landed her an internship where she would begin the process of learning the ropes of production. It was the early 90's in Atlanta, and while she had a degree in marketing and finance, she had no experience or formal education in what her future career would be. Leaning on the power of books and her own resourcefulness, Tracey taught herself everything she needed to know and asked the right questions. As a firm believer in saying yes and figuring it out later, Tracey is proof that if you take a chance on yourself, you just might win. Today as a 25-year entertainment industry veteran and seasoned television producer, Tracy Baker-Simmons is one of television's most prolific and industry-forward innovators, earning titles such as the pioneer of urban reality television. With content such as the Bravo reality series Being Bobby Brown, MTV2's Sprite Step-Off, and the biopic Bobbi Kristina, Tracy has proven her ability to create content that both resonates well with viewers and pushes the culture forward. Note: When she pitched Bobby Brown a reality show she had never produced one before and fun fact: he was in jail at the time! In fact, the only blueprint at the time was The Osbournes. Currently, she works under her production company, Baker Simmons Media. She also recently launched an educational platform Reality TV Decoded, which launched its first master course, Making Reality TV. In this episode, you will learn that determination and curiosity can get you everywhere and why if you invest in yourself, you can push beyond what you don't know and be unstoppable.

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If you have a story to tell and want to use your authentic voice to share it, Barbara Barna Abel is the woman for you. Since launching her casting and talent development company, Abel Intermedia, in 2001, Barbara has worked on over 100 unscripted/alternative projects and jump-started the careers of many prominent figures. As a seasoned media & communications coach, talent & executive development expert, and casting director in the entertainment industry, Barbara knows what it takes to make an impact and stand out. Her clients include television networks, PR firms, athletes, models, celebrity chefs, business executives, and young creatives. Her credits include the groundbreaking RuPaul Show on VH-1, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and What Not to Wear. In this episode, Barbara shares the tricks of the trade and what makes a great audition. Fun fact: what makes a great audition is the same thing that makes a great interview and breaking news; it starts the minute you walk into the building. As Barbara says, be memorable and delightful. Leave the room better than you found it. Even if you don't land the gig, you'll make an impression that may pay dividends in the future.

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Leading celebrations expert, Darcy Miller, grew up in a house where both of her parents were artistic, and "making things" was a daily occurrence. But their artistic passion was never about being hardcore crafters but more about celebrating life and everyday moments. Their mantra was D.I.T. (Do it together) versus D.I.Y. as creating memories, was always the driver.

Darcy's mom worked for Diana Vreeland, and her after-school activities included being dragged to the MET. She would watch them work on the MET shows while she did her homework. That creative environment left an impression on Darcy that would inspire her future career. She, of course, didn't know that at the time. Beginning her career early, Darcy flexed her artistic muscle as a college entrepreneur, but after college, she was faced with a fork in the road decision: Interview to be Anna Wintour's assistant OR become the assistant to Martha Stewart, who was launching a start-up magazine. Going with her gut and following her crafting passion, she went on the road less traveled and has never looked back. Today, Darcy is the founder of Darcy Miller Designs, culminating over twenty-five years of cultivating and creating inspiration and ideas for all things celebrations. 

In this episode, you will learn to view every day as a celebration and why capturing those memories builds the foundation for long-term happiness and meaningful relationships. Darcy also shares how to choose the right path when you're faced with more than one direction and so much more.

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David Yi grew up in the only Korean family in his small town of Colorado Springs. From a very young age, he felt othered and knew that one day, he would spend his time celebrating and uplifting others. After working as a fashion editor, reporter, and stylist in New York for ten years, David decided to use his extensive knowledge of beauty and became the Founder & editor-in-chief of Very Good Light and the co-founder of Good Light, a beauty brand that celebrates beauty beyond the binary. It's a gender-inclusive, vegan, and cruelty-free skincare line created as a response to the hypermasculine/hyperfeminine divide in the beauty industry.  In this episode, David authentically shares his story, struggles, and self-doubts and how he overcame them. He details how he manifested his book and why he is focused on helping others realize their power. Living by the mantra that you need to remember when you wished for what you have now, David proves that he has found his light and is helping others find theirs too.  LEAVE YOUR MARK listeners can try Good Light beauty product with a special buy one get one FREE offer by using ALIZA on goodlight.world. 

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Life is short. Kate Doerge learned that early on. Now, after more than 25 years of working for other people, she's taking the plunge into entrepreneurship. As Principal of Kate Doerge Consulting (KDC), Kate is betting that her more than two decades of brand-building and communications experience can help prestige consumer brands and investors unlock value at all stages of the investment process.  

When Kate left her role as partner of Paul Wilmot Communications after 21 years of experience, she thought that she left her network behind. A chance meeting that she almost didn't take pushed her outside her realm and comfort zone and landed her as Head of Marketing at iStar. Without that experience, she doesn't believe she would have founded KDC today. 

In this episode, you'll learn how Kate channels her physical fitness challenges to inspire her professional risk-taking and how it taught her that she could do anything she sets her mind to with that same passion. She'll share how she tackles goal setting as her own boss and how with a mantra of never burning bridges, she is now tapping into her network to invite them on her journey. You will learn why your network is not a pile of business cards but relationships that need to be nurtured. You'll also understand why every conversation is worth having, even when you don't see the value at the time.

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Since she began working in the fashion industry over a decade ago, Ruthie Friedlander has established herself as someone to know. As the CEO/Founder of At Large Agency, she helps brands navigate the convergence of content and growth. Ruthie's prior experience has shifted over the years from iconic fashion brands like Chanel and The Row to major editorial roles at ELLE.com and InStyle.com. She started her career as the assistant to media entrepreneur Dan Abrams. 

But along her journey, Ruthie came face to face with her demons, ultimately hitting rock bottom and then coming out the other side. As the co-founder of The Chain, a non-profit peer support network for women in fashion, media, & entertainment who are struggling with or recovering from an eating disorder, she is building a community where no one has to struggle alone. In this episode, Ruthie shares her story,  life lessons, and aspirations, all with sincerity and humor.  

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