Latest news with #RebeccaMinkoff
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Rebecca Minkoff's boss advice for putting your name on a brand
Listen and subscribe to The Big Idea with Elizabeth Gore on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your favorite podcast. This week on The Big Idea with Elizabeth Gore, noted fashion designer and entrepreneur Rebecca Minkoff joins the show to answer the question: How do you leverage your personal brand for a product? Minkoff shares her experience as a multi-hyphenate fashion designer, podcaster, author, and media personality and the best ways for entrepreneurs to find success when their names are tied to their business Finance's The Big Idea with Elizabeth Gore takes you on a journey with America's entrepreneurs as they navigate the world of small business. This post was written by Lauren Pokedoff How to y'all. I'm Elizabeth Gore. Welcome to the Big Idea from Yahoo Finance, the show that navigates the world of small business and entrepreneurship. All businesses start with one light bulb moment and I'm going to take you on a journey with America's entrepreneurs. As the co-founder of the small businessfunding platform. Hello, Wallace. It has always been my mission to ensure entrepreneurs have the tools they need to live the American dream. We're going to get between the spreadsheets with these operators to flow from their smallest failures to their biggest successes. So let's cowboy big idea question is how do you leverage your personal brand for a product? What this means is, how do you use your own name to elevate your business? Our industry's focus will be fashion. I love fashion, whether it's boots or stilettos. So here weJoining me today is Miss Fashion herself, Rebecca Minkoff. Rebecca is a multi-hyphenate. Not only is she a fashion designer, but also an author, influencer, podcast host, and a former real housewife of New York. She is also the co-founder of the Female Founder Collective, a great partner of Hello Wallace, that is a network of female-led businesses that works to enable and empower each other. So let's get to talking to Rebecca.I can't believe you're here. I'm here. You like my dress. I love your dress. I mean, I'm bringing it back. I was like, I have to wear a classic Rebecca Minkoff. I have it. So I just 20 years in this business. What does it feel like? You know what, it feels like a 100 lifetimes. You know, it just feels like the amount of people I've been and the amount of stages of the business that I've seen, um, it's wild. And the big idea question of the day is, when do you use your own name to create your brand?And I want to back up 20 years ago when you know you didn't name this, you know, Sally's. Like, why did youchoose your name? I chose my name, so I worked for a designer for 3 years before I went out on my own, thinking I knew I said, if I'm going to work this hard, it's going to be my name because I want everyone to know who I am. And I also felt like as a, as an inspiring designer, I connected with designers that were their own names. I read the autobiography of Chanel, you know, I connected with her story and how scrappy she had to be at a time when women had like no rights at all. Um, and other, another incredible woman, Donna Karan, you know, Alexander McQueen, he's not a woman, but still like these people that you're like,I don't just like your clothing or your bags, but I like who you are. And so to me that was kind of, you know, the starting gate for my own name. So what are some pros and cons in tying your personal identity to the business? There was this saying throughout the company for a long time, like if I wasn't in the room and a decision would be made, well, will Rebecca wear it? Will she like it? What would Rebecca do? Yes, exactly. And that can also be hard to act as a business because you do have to to take something again, you know, the 80/20 rule and commercialize it. And so it can't always be what Rebecca would want. And so we had to sort of get that mentality out of the company, like, what is great for the business, what looks like the brand, which is Rebecca, but as I said before, it's the expansion ofthat. And has there ever been a time when you're like, oh, I wish that wasn't my name? There's never been a time that I wish it wasn't my name. There have been times where my name has been on product that I didn't agree with that, how does that happen? Because I know you, you are in control. You know your products. I mean, you're an incredible CEO, so how does that happen? So it happens when you are at a critical point of business and there was a time where many of our wholesale partners were coming in and almost playing designer, and if you said no, they just didn't so you sort of look down the path and you're like, do I give them what they want and be in the store and sell and have a, you know, high volume business and by that time you're very big. So you're like, if I say no and we shrink, that means loss of business, loss of people. And so for a while weYes, and it didn't help us. That's the hindsight is it didn't help us, you know, to have a laptop bag that said nerd alert on it did not help us. OK. Then COVID happens and everything goes away and you're forced to reevaluate. Well, what, what do we want to stand for? And that, you know, in many ways having that exercise was the best thing that could have happened to us. I remember once you and I had a conversation that you had to have a really on pricing. I think it was after the market crash here or something with some of your big stores and you had to walk. Do I remember that right? Well, we had to lower our prices where they were going to walk and we did our prices and thank God we did. That's a time where it was good that we listened every singleOne of my competitors evaporated. Interesting,interesting. The same woman who was making X amount of dollars was either not making that anymore or her 401k was gone. And so her ability to be nimble and pay $500 for a bag evaporated. And so we thank God we did that because, you know, that is our pricing structure today is affordable luxury. You know, I'm pulling out, you always talk about her and she and and what you know your customer wants andWhen I originally met you was because you were doing so much work for and with other female founders. Tell us about that journey. So it was 2018. I was quite lonely as a female founder. I had my brother, my co-founder Rebecca Minkoff, but again, he had a very certain way of how he liked to share information with others and I was like, someone, please, is this as hard? Is this hard for everybody? Is this? And I just needed other women. And within the fashion industry, it was also incredibly lonely because no one wants to share the bad stuff with each other because it's so competitive. So I began to peer outside of my industry. I met you, I met other like-minded the power of that unlocks something like, you know what, we can all help each other. This isn't a competition. And if we surround ourselves with community, with education, then hopefully this makes a difference in the in the future success of other businesses. Brought on Alison White as my co-founder, a couple of months later, so together with our amazing team, we really built an amazing membership community, but an education based. All the unsexy parts of business. You want to know what your CRM platform or how to raise capital or what to do with it once you have it. We're here to teach you. And how do folks find that? Female right? And I want to go back to your name again because I think a lot of small business owners, whether they have a storefront, whether they have, you know, a consulting service, is it, you know, putting your full self out there? So of all those people you've been, which one do you feel the most sorry for and which one are you the most proud of? Uh, wow, that's a good question. I feel the most sorry for me. Uh, 20, uh, let's just say 2011, um, we thought that the way to grow and the trend was grow at all costs. Margin doesn't matter. And I wish I would have dug my feet into the ground and said, margin matters, we're building a profitable And again, when everything seems to be going in an industry a certain direction, you think you have to jump on that bandwagon. Taking money from investors doesn't cure your problems. Man, tell me, right? Yeah, right? You know, and really quickly the grow it all cost thing. I mean, Silicon Valley for a while had this split scale and do this and throw money at everything andSmall business owners, that is a very dangerous proposition, right? It's incredibly dangerous and it makes every small business owner think I have to raise money to be successful. We've stripped Americans of the idea that they can have a beautiful small, which means under 25 Profitable business that provides a lifestyle for myself and my family and my colleagues. There's nothing wrong with that fun, right? Now let's go back to the one that you that you liked the most or had the most fun. I'm like. Oh yes, I hate like, oh, yours are your best, but last two years have been phenomenal. Well, you know what, and you have 4 beautiful kids. You're, you've got a podcast going, you have a book going. I love what you do for other female founders. So you said you've been multiple people over 20 years. So if your brand is your identity and you are changing and evolving, how does the brand follow along? Well, I think it needs to if you want to stay happy with it. You know, for a while when I first had kids, we had an unfortunate hire who said,We don't want to talk about your family or your kids. So let's just freeze the customers. She apologized to me later. Yes. A little too late for that. But you know, we froze the customer at 26, then I could no longer identify because I was having very different experiences and my core customer was also becoming a mom. And we weren't talking to her anymore. We were talking about going to the club. And so you, you have that disconnect. So II think if you can imbue as you're evolving what you love and say into your brand, most likely your core customer that loves you is in that journey with you and usually is experiencing the same thing. You're not going to theb. I'm Rebecca, is being authentic profitable? You don't have to be showing every part of your life to be authentic. But you have to be authentic about what you do show. For instance, if you see me changing diapers, having a messy my kids like, you know, wrecking the house and it's clean. Does that make you want to buy a bag? Probably not. It makes you laugh. It makes you feel like, oh, she's so fun. But if I'm in the business of trying to sell you accessible luxury, that's what I want to show you and have you connect with me on many different levels, and that's what I have to be authentic about. So being here with authentic or showcasing how to style something and being authentic, that's where you want to show up and be real. I think that is some of the most brilliant advice I've ever heard, particularly for this next generation. You don't have to show everything in your life, but what you do show, be authentic 100%. All right, hold that thought. We will be right back on the big back to The Big Idea. I'm Elizabeth Gore here with the amazing Rebecca Minkoff. So now you've got a book for your list. You've got this incredible podcast. So tell me about both of those. And again, that's just just putting yourself out there even more. Like, tell me your thought both of those. My thought process is if we imagine Rebecca Minkoff as the hub, then you have all the spokes that are like our brand pillars. So it's obviously women supporting them through lots of different ways. So if you're a founder, it's female founder collective. If you want to have more fearless life, its reading the book and applying the rules. And then the podcast is for those that need their weekly dose of likeI interview someone like you and they're like, oh my gosh, she had a tough time. This is what she applied in her life, and this is the problem she's solvingfor me. I'm enjoying doing this podcast because I'm learning so much in the chair. I'm just curious, a couple of things that you've heard that you want to pass you were just mind blown when you were doing your podcast. Yes, I think the two that I'll say is I believe that I was interviewing Patty from Fortune. Patty Sellers, and she said if women talked about money, the way they talk about sex and children, how much moreMoney would we all have and would would the gender gap be as large? And you notice it everywhere you go. You're the first to pull out the pictures of your kids, or, you know, talk about good or bad in your sex life. Would you ever be like, how much money you making? Did you, what did you do to diversify your stocks? Did you get crypto? Like, we need to be having those conversations because it's happening on the golf course for the men and in the boardrooms, and it's not happening enough for women. So I loved her advice for then the second piece, and I feel like I say it all the time, but hopefully your listeners have not heard me say it yet, is Kristen Ozolski from Nomaical Wines said, Never take advice from a person whose life you don't want. Oh, I love that because when you're starting a business, boy, are you going to get a lot of advice. You're going to get great advice, bad advice, neutral advice, and I think what I like that lens. Like, is this the person you really want to listen to and you're going toYou have to distill it either way, right? Yeah, and you can AB test advice. It doesn't mean that like, you know, try it if you think and approach it like an engineer. There's not a single engineer that I've ever met that gets emotional about AB testing. Like, I'm a failure. A didn't work. They're like, A didn't work, go to B. What if you approached your business and failure that way, you know, and it's not the end. It's just that didn't work, so what's B? Plan Z, right? of plansy, we talk about dirty unicorns, right on this show, some pretty massive mistakes that you've learned from and can pass knowledge on. Can you drop a few of those to us? Yeah, I think you'll be surprised at how much money you think you need to be successful in terms of scale. And, and actually, if you invest in the right things, I think we, when we took in an investment in 2012, that money was gone in three then upgraded website, sorry, an upgraded website in some new product categories. We could have had one store with 1/5 of the footprint. That was actually the proper size that we needed because we discovered it later through a pop-up. We could have not blown up the company to 115 people, and we could have just focused on going back to our community, which we're very enmeshed in today, butJust being with your community, learning, surveying, and them come along for the ride. And when, when in that moment, cause you know like getting really granular where you're like, oh crap. Oh crap was I knew what we were spending on the New York City store. I have a friend down the street who opened her store and spent 10th of what we spent and profitable almost right away. And I was like, wow, we really, we thought we had to have the Madison Avenue or 5th Avenue, like big branded fancy store with custom everything. Actually, it turns out she got all her furniture at different auctions and flea markets and spray painted it all black and it looked just as great. Going back to this, don't, don't grow at all costs. I mean, I think this is the thematic of our day here. I mean, that's just, it's so interesting when you learn it the right way, learn it the wrong way. If, if I'm, if I'm in fashion, which is our industry today, and I, I want to get started and I just look around and I think, oh my gosh, it's Rebecca Minkoff. How could I ever get to that level? I mean, what is your advice on that, that person who's drawing and designing and sewing their own clothes and ready to go to market right now? I think that you haveSocial media on and not on your side. There is no traditional route. Start documenting what you're doing, bring people along for the ride. Focus on one thing, you know, one thing, what is your t-shirt and is it the best and what sets you apart, and how are you getting people emotionally connected to what you stand for and who you are? And you might not be good at being on camera right away, but that's where it is. Video is here to and people want, they want to say I'm wearing this brand because I identify with X, Y and Z to you, your, your story. Now you said there's good and bad with social media. What'sthe other side of it is that there's a million other people doing what you're doing. So how are you going to stand out and how you get through and the traditional forms are eroding, you know, the press that we get have the same metrics for sales as it did, you know, back in the day. If my jacket was on the cover of a magazine, 10,000 units. Today, cover of a magazine, a couple 100 units, you know, so it's like you have to begin to sort of be creative in how you're showing up and it has to unfortunately be everywhere, which for a lot of founders can be overwhelming. So that's interesting. So howHow, what, maybe in the last couple of years, what was something you did that did sell 10,000 units? I'm just curious. Well, we didn't have 10,000 units, but we did a collaboration with Wicked for the launch of the movie, and so we did 2 bags. We kept it really tight. We go I was like this better sell out, and it sold out. It was like a nice, it was a nice feeling to have. Yeah. Where did that come from? How did that idea manifest? It manifested because I had just had my last baby. I was 10 days out. I get this urgent call. It's NBC wicked. We get on a Zoom, they're like, we'd like to invite you to come to London in a couple of days. You're going to get the whole experience. We want you to be our collaboration crazy hormone cocktail me was like, I could do this. I could leave. I'll take the baby. And I was like, wait, I can't even give him a passport. And then I was like, I can't do this. And I just looked at him and I said, I'm not leaving him and I can't take him. So I'm going to say no to the opportunity, even though this is a huge deal. And I called him and I said, I just had a baby, like I can't leave and I can't bring him. So thank you so much. And I said, Well, who's your second, you know, have her come. And so we sent Mary and she had an incredible experience, and she was actually the right one to go because she made all the connections and then we negotiated for a long time on what the deal, you know, and information and how that works would look like, and then product design, we got access to the art, we got to touch and feel the props. It was an incredible experience. I want to thank you. That's amazing, but I do want to pick up on something as mothers. SoIn in those moments, doing the right thing for you, your baby, your child, I think a lot of folks would be like, well, how can you run an effective business? And you chose the right thing, it came back around to you and then it still was effective. I, when uh when I had the great opportunity to work for Michael Dell at Dell Technologies, I was very, very pregnant with my same thing, I turned, I said, I'm, I, I don't know if you know, but I'm pregnant, and there's no way I can take on a job with this capacity. And they came back around and was like, take your full maternity leave, we'll be here when you're done, but we'd like to know that you're coming. And it was, you know, so, um, I just, II lift these two stories up for a second because I want women to know you can pursue, make the right choice for your child, and still run a really effective company. You can, and there will be sometimes opportunities that do go away, but it's OK. You don't have to take every opportunity, and I say this in hindsight because I thought I did, you know, with the 1st 3 children.I took every opportunity just in case it goes away, and then you miss out on these moments, you know, luckily enough that I had a 4th that I could be like, oh, I missed that. I missed that. I missed that. I missed that. I'm not missing anything else. And so now I'm just like, you know what, if it's too much time away or, you know, it takes my attention too much off of something, like I just have to walk away. Yeah. I love, I love the wicked collaboration. I do think withThe noise partnerships are such an effective way to break through, you know, because your funnel, if we all talk about marketing funnel, and if you're talking to the same people over and over and suddenly you have, you know, you partner up with someone, you have this whole other set of eyeballs. It's quite powerful. It's quite powerful. And when you look at the overlap of like you have the Rebekah Minkoff legacy fans, you have the wicked fans. If you can make that magic happen, then it's golden. That is brilliant.I want, I want to pick up on the best advice that you've had in the early days. We'll go back to your not this 20 years, that you just now realized it was the best advice. Maybe in the moment you couldn't, you know, saturate it because I, I think we look back on things and be like, holy crap, that was good. That was good. I get it now. Do you have any of those? Oh, I have a lot.I was so committed to my craft and my art and like just blind vision. I was never good at figuring out and commercializing it and my my uh colleague of like Rebecca Minkoff, if you look at it like a pyramid, let's just say I'm at the top, and as long as everything when it's diluted still looks and feels like you, but it's made for people maybe that live in more rural communities, that having a stud on their flip flop is their edge, you know, it's OK, you can let go. It doesn't have to be fully studded flip flop or a fully studded bag or the aggressive leather jacket that, you know, that I want everyone to want. And so as soon as I could sort of wrap my head around that, you grow a business, you commercialize it, it pays the bills, you know, up until that point, because I was so committed to likeIt has to be the most aggressive form of every design I do. That's a very tiny niche business. If you can afford to do that, great. You know, if you can afford to just have those customers, awesome. You know, there are a lot of successful brands that have done that. And so I just wish I would have embraced that a Well, I got to tell you, your book is aptly named Fearless. I hope everyone reads it. I actually know I will walk out less fearful thanks to you and thank you for being on the show. You are such a vision. You're a great mom, great business owner, and a great human being. Thank the end of each episode, I like to give a shout out to a small business who is doing great work. Today, I'd like to shout out Gurley Garage, so cool, founded by train mechanic Talina Hanley in San Diego, California. Gurley Garage teaches and empowers women in automotive education, consulting, and repairs. So go get your car fixed or check them out at you, Rebecca, for coming on the show today and thank all of you for joining us. We hope you've learned a lot. This has been a big idea from Yahoo Finance. Please make sure to scan the QR code below to follow Yahoo Finance podcast or check us out at the Big Idea wherever you get your podcasts. And if you follow on Amazon Music, just ask Alexa, play the big idea. You can also come say howdy to me on any of my social channels at Elizabeth Gore USA.I'm Elizabeth Gore and as my grandmother always said, hold your head up high and give them hell. See you next time. This content was not intended to be financial advice and should not be used as a substitute for professional financial services. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Rebecca Minkoff's boss advice for putting your name on a brand
Listen and subscribe to The Big Idea with Elizabeth Gore on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your favorite podcast. This week on The Big Idea with Elizabeth Gore, noted fashion designer and entrepreneur Rebecca Minkoff joins the show to answer the question: How do you leverage your personal brand for a product? Minkoff shares her experience as a multi-hyphenate fashion designer, podcaster, author, and media personality and the best ways for entrepreneurs to find success when their names are tied to their business Finance's The Big Idea with Elizabeth Gore takes you on a journey with America's entrepreneurs as they navigate the world of small business. This post was written by Lauren Pokedoff Sign in to access your portfolio
Forbes
29-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Designer Rebecca Minkoff Goes From Fashion To The Food World
It's well-known in entrepreneurial circles that women-founded and led companies receive less funding compared to their male counterparts, and a new food-focused accelerator called SeedHer seeks to make a dent in that statistic. SeedHer emerges out of the Female Founder Collective, a women's entrepreneur group co-founded in 2018 by fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff and serial entrepreneur and angel investor Ali Wyatt. Female Founders Collective has approximately 25,000 total members, including its exclusive dues-paying members. As the collective has grown, it's also worked to formalize and professionalize its offers even further, said Wyatt. Approximately two years ago, the Female Founder Collective started to curate around more specific industries with six cohorts a year to allow founders a better chance to network and bring in partnerships and resources that would appeal to different cohorts. This is in addition to its existing consulting marketplace platform, The North, where founders can contact advisors directly. But its latest venture with SeedHeris, geared towards food and beverage founders. SeedHer originated from a few facts, including the lack of funding for female-led businesses, the low margins for food startups that deter entrepreneurship and growth, and the fact that women are the 'chief nourishment officers' in their households, said Wyatt. Female-founded companies secured $38.8 billion in venture funding in 2024, marking a 27% increase from the previous year. However, this rise came amid a 13.1% drop in deal count, while all-male-founded companies experienced a higher 33.2% growth in deal value with a smaller 7% decline in deal count, according to Pitchbook's 2024 US All In: Female Founders in the VC Ecosystem report. 'What tends to happen, and we don't see this with their male counterparts, is they don't have a relationship at Walmart [or similar] that keeps them on the shelves,' said Wyatt. 'We want founders to have the phone-a-friend concept where they can call their [expert] friend and ask them questions at these pivotal points along the way that will get them out of trouble and allow them to keep growing.' SeedHer features a 12-week course includes eight 'masterclasses' and community meetings with mentors in partnership with Kellanova's Pure Organic brand. Kellanova was formerly known as Kellogg's. There will also be coursework for founders that can be integrated into business practices, like re-examining existing margins and changing the unit economics. The idea is that it's not incremental work or skills they're gaining, but instead substantial enough to help them with immediacy. SeedHer applications opened on May 29 and applicants should have a minimum $500,000 in annual revenue, and applications will be judged by the FFC and Kellanova Pure Organic teams. Approximately 15 startups will be chosen. The program culminates with a Demo Day in November. On the Demo Day, the panel of experts will provide insights and feedback to founders. 'While FFC built a movement around collective support, SeedHer is a next step in providing select female founders in food and beverage with more direct resources, mentorship, and funding pathways to help them grow their businesses,' she said in an email. 'At the end of the SeedHer accelerator, we want founders to leave with practical insights, strategic direction, and stronger industry connections to help them scale.' The creation of SeedHer comes at a time of change for the snacking industry. Consumers have been interested in healthier options for some time, ranging from high-protein options currently in vogue to less processed products. Health officials have raised the U.S. population's awareness over ultra-processed foods and potential negative health consequences, while petroleum-based synthetic food dyes as received federal scrutiny. FFC and Kellanova Pure Organic came together to work on SeedHer after Minkoff crossed paths with Leslie Serro, vp of sweet snacking at Kellanova and connected on the topic of entrepreunialism. Kellanova did invest an undisclosed sum as a premier sponsor to SeedHer, but is not providing grants to participants, said Serro. Serro said she plans to bring in Kellanova leaders to speak with and mentor SeedHer participants, including marketing, financing and retail. She said the major painpoints identified include entering retail, managing supply chain and scaling up the business. 'As we go through different stages of our life, we see different things,' she said. 'The Female Founder Collective, and these entrepreneurs see things differently, are pushing boundaries, and are looking for new solutions.'
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
6 flattering vacation dresses from Nordstrom — and how to style them
Planning a spring or summer getaway? Sounds fun! But what are you going to pack? If you need a little inpso, I suggest taking a vacation dress or two with you, like these fun options I found at Nordstrom. Unlike your regular warm-weather frocks, these get-ups are usually brighter, bolder and breezier — think palm prints, bright colors and light linen fabrics. My favorite picks include everything from this flowy white cotton dress (just $39!) to a Yahoo reader-loved maxi that you'll never want to take off. A dress is just the first layer to any stylish look, though. Accessories like sunglasses, handbags, sandals and sweaters can give the star of the show a little extra oomph. They're practical, too — you need a good handbag to stash your lip gloss and sunglasses to keep your eyes from squinting while you're cruising around the Caribbean or Italian countryside. Below, l'm sharing six vacation outfit ideas that I can't wait to try out during my own upcoming travels. You can likely recreate any of these looks with items you already have at home, and if not, the links are here to shop. I love getting a new dress to wear on vacation, but a whole new outfit — well, there's nothing better. If you usually gravitate towards navy, let me suggest a bolder shade of blue for a nighttime meal by the water. This lightweight Vince Camuto dress stands out for its "palace blue" hue and contrasting wavy details. I love that it has a smocked back for a comfortable fit. Plus, it slips over your head so there are no zippers to worry about. (FYI: Nordstrom shoppers say it runs a little big.) I'd pair it with gold sandals, light sunnies and a white leather handbag. This Coach Jonie Bag is small, but big enough to fit the essentials, and it converts from a handheld to a crossbody. My suggestion: Leave the long strap at home and carry it like a clutch. Taking inspo from the ocean-like blue, I'd add a seashell-adorned necklace to bring the theme home. Shop the look: The red palm print on this Lipsy sundress is striking, but I love that you'll still be able to wear it back home with a jean jacket and flip-flops. It features a smocked back (again, no zippers) and its cotton-linen fabric paired with the A-line ruffled skirt makes it feel extra breezy. Add simple brown leather sandals, aviator sunglasses (only $15!) and this woven crossbody bag by Rebecca Minkoff —can't you just taste the pińa coladas?! Oh, and these freshwater pearls add a bit of beachy glam without feeling stuffy. Shop the look: When the temps rise, I'm all about throwing on something light and breezy, like this Steve Madden dress. This 100% cotton number is just $39 and comes in seven colors, but white is my go-to on extra hot days. It has a stretchy, smocked back for comfort and an elastic waist that's uber flattering. Wear it into the local town to pick up some souvenirs. I'd pair it with a raffia tote bag, like this one by Tory Burch, flat sandals and an ankle bracelet for some unexpected extra flair. While these transparent green sunglasses add a subtle touch of color to any look, they'll especially pop with a neutral outfit like this one. Shop the look: If you usually reach for your little black dress come the weekend, switch things up on vacation. This linen mini in spring's hottest color trend — butter yellow — is such a happy hue and looks way more expensive than it is. It fits like a loose shift dress, but there's a tie in the back to make it tighter if you prefer a little more shape. Plus, wide straps allow you to wear your regular bra with it. I'd pair it with neutral heels or sandals, a jean jacket if it gets chilly at night and some extra fun accessories. I love Staud's beaded Tommy Bags, especially this Wildflower print. Yes, it goes with this dress perfectly, thanks to its yellow accents, but you can also wear it with jeans and a T-shirt or any other neutral outfit. Add these pearl-drop earrings with blue gemstones to play into the bags' beading. Shop the look: This is the kind of print I'm talking about when I think of a vacation dress! Is it florals or corals? I don't know, but it looks amazing in this green khaki color. This Petal & Pup number features flattering bustier-like seaming on the bodice and a sweetheart neckline that will make you feel like a princess. Of course, even princesses will appreciate the adjustable straps and elastic back for comfort! I'd pair this dress with strappy heels for a fancy dinner or keep it casual with raffia slides, gold jewelry and a light cardigan if you need it. I'm also all about this shell-shaped handbag — a beachside getaway is the perfect spot to take this baby out. Shop the look: I get it: You might not want to dress up every day that you're on vacation. Keep things casual with this stretchy, flowy Loveappella maxi dress. While it comes in four colors, the black is super slimming and versatile. Wear it on its own or over your swimsuit for a casual day by the beach or pool. That said, if you want to zhuzh it up, I'd match this Yahoo reader favorite with Havaianas Flip-Flops (the crystal ones are too cute!), a packable hat that won't lose its shape in your suitcase and a straw-like handbag, like this one by Madewell. These Hexagonal Ray-Ban sunglasses are also universally flattering — seriously, they look good on everyone — and like this dress, they're a good basic you'll want to wear again and again. Shop the look:
Business Insider
01-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
LinkedIn wants a bigger slice of the creator economy
Have you noticed more professionally produced videos in your LinkedIn feed recently? It's by design, and you can expect to see more. LinkedIn on Thursday said it's launching a new slate of five original shows from business-focused creators, including the entrepreneur and "The Diary of a CEO" podcast host Steven Bartlett, the fashion designer "Real Housewives of New York" star Rebecca Minkoff, and Candace Nelson, who founded Sprinkles Cupcakes and the Pizzana pizzeria chain. LinkedIn's new video push comes as tech companies, from Spotify to YouTube, scramble to lock down top creator talent. Davang Shah, LinkedIn's VP of marketing, told Business Insider that the effort is also part of the platform's increased focus on video. Total video viewership is up 36% this year versus last, and video creation is growing at twice the rate of other post formats, he said. The new LinkedIn shows will focus on topics such as female entrepreneurship, the CEO playbook, and artificial intelligence. The other creators taking part are Shelley Zalis, founder of The Female Quotient; Guy Raz, host of the "How I Built This" podcast; and the author Bernard Marr. LinkedIn said more shows from additional content creators are in the works, though the company plans to keep the selection highly curated for now. The new shows mark an expansion of LinkedIn's Wire Program, which has been renamed BrandLink. The initial 2023 to 2024 launch partners were professional news publishers like The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and Business Insider. LinkedIn said it's also bringing on new publishers this year, including The Washington Post, Front Office Sports, and Adweek. The expansion to creators, however, shows how influencers are becoming an increasingly important part of social media, especially when it comes to news topics. While LinkedIn was once seen as a largely self-promotional tool for job seekers, more corners of the business community — from venture capitalists, to CEOs, and marketers — are regularly coming to the platform to riff on the latest news and other trending topics in their industries. The BrandLink program lets the publishers and creators monetize their videos through pre-roll ads on their shows, which appear in the feed as users scroll the app. Like YouTube, users can skip the full ad after watching for a few seconds. Advertisers can choose which shows they want to appear in and use LinkedIn's data to target specific cohorts of users, with pricing determined by an ad auction. LinkedIn has typically kept a 50% cut of the ad revenue through the BrandLink program, a publisher exec told BI. A LinkedIn spokesperson said the company couldn't share specifics about the revenue share model. Creators own the intellectual property of the content they create for LinkedIn, and they are free to distribute the content on other platforms — but they must post it to LinkedIn first, the spokesperson said. LinkedIn's professional, affluent audience is attractive to advertisers LinkedIn has long courted creators. In 2012, it launched its Influencers program, encouraging famed businesspeople like Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and Arianna Huffington to post to the platform. But its efforts have ramped up in recent years, as it's rolled out tools for famous and everyday creators alike, designed to help them showcase their expertise and boost their followings. Creators told BI last year that they had seen early success by posting videos to its TikTok-style vertical video feed. Shah said advertisers are drawn to content on the platform that has credibility and authenticity. "When you produce authentic and trusted content, it leads to connections, it leads to conversations, and ultimately, it leads to closed deals, and that's what marketers care about the most," Shah said. For LinkedIn, any uptick in user numbers and engagement boosts its advertising business. Research firm EMARKETER, a sister company of BI, forecasts that LinkedIn will generate $8.06 billion in ad revenue in 2025, up 12.4% year-on-year. LinkedIn's video ambitions face stiff competition from YouTube and TikTok, which already host oodles of business and finance-focused content. YouTube, in particular, has become a top destination for podcasts, including the aforementioned "Diary of a CEO." Brendan Gahan, the CEO of Creator Authority, an influencer marketing agency focused on LinkedIn, said the platform has its advantages, however. It ticks off attributes that many marketers want: A large audience (more than 1 billion users, per LinkedIn), strong ad tools, and a largely brand-safe environment. Gahan said what sets the platform apart is its professional, affluent niche. "This is where decision-makers and executives actually spend time," Gahan said. "Probably more time than any other platform." As LinkedIn goes all in on video, Nick Cicero, founder of Mondo Metrics, an analytics platform and data consultancy, said the platform should avoid chasing volume over value. "LinkedIn must curate high-signal content that matches the platform's professional intent, not just push engagement bait," Cicero said. "The goal isn't scale, it's signal. You don't need a million views. You need the right 10 decision-makers."
