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empowerment

Lifestyle

#SCCon18 : Secrets To Running a Successful Blog and Building A Blog Community

Growing up with many female influences in my personal life has generally made me gravitate towards smart, creative, and interesting women as a whole.  Joining the Style Collective was one of those no brainer decisions I made after watching founder, Annie Spano, week after week hustle as hard to achieve her dream as I was to achieve mine.  I knew that being around her energy would rub off on me.  She not only recruited me, but many  like me.  These women were like minded motivated females all trying to change their story.

When the Style Collective announced that it would be having its first conference I dare say I was the first to register.  I was thrilled at the prospect of being around other women, mothers, and bloggers that were all trying to navigate a new industry that allows women to authentically share themselves with the world.

Last month we all met up in the beautiful Cannon Room in the heart of Raleigh. NC!  A beautiful space that inspired and enthused us. The agenda was filled with women that I wanted to hear and learn from and best of all, they were willing to share!  Among many highlights from the conference, here are my top three.

The Venue

The Cannon Room was named after the first female Mayor of Raleigh, Isabell Cannon.  With that as a backdrop it was just the perfect vibe and space, intimate yet spacious and generously lit with its large windows.  It made for an inviting space that made us want to network in.   Lucky for us, this room has already been booked for next years conference!

The Influencer Panel

With our blog, we try to be open and honest about our journey as women and as mothers.  At the conference, we were lucky enough to hear from mother to be Holly of @MakeTodayAHollyDay, Courtney of @CourtEInk, and Keke of @StyleYourSelfie and they were wonderful! Each shared their story, journey, and ideas generously with all of us.  I recall chatting with Holly and discussing giveaway ideas!  I really appreciated that!

The Agenda

Generally we had a lot of information that we needed to cover during sessions, so by Sunday afternoon we were tired.   The agenda, however, anticipated that we would need creative breaks.  We had the chance to play in a live photo booth and network in a beautiful corner space.  The agenda also included a cocktail hour on Saturday night and a trolley ride surprise on Sunday!  Everything had been thought out and considered.  The team at Style Collective did an amazing job putting it all together (Thank You!).

I, along with my fellow chicks, am truly grateful for the camaraderie and the learning and I am looking forward to next year. Here is a peek at all the fun!

Your Chick,

Rina Puri

Shop all the cutest looks from the weekend!

Beauty, Collaborations, Philanthropy

Sanaya Set: Be Distinguished by Shopping With Purpose

The Story
We were thrilled to check out a subscription box designed for women of color by women of color.  Although our journey as humans has many similarities, life has a way of testing us in different ways.  The women behind the Sanaya Set all have a story and a common interest that brought them together.  They have used their work with API Chaya, a community for women who have been marginalized by domestic violence and sexual assault, to channel their energies to create a product that delivers awareness for a variety of good causes that speak to the experiences of women.
The Box
The Sayana set is a subscription box that is full of hand picked products that each tell a story and support a cause.  What could be better than a seasonal box that comes to your door with a message?  These products help women feel educated, engaged, and empowered to make the world a better place.
We felt strongly about the quality of the products (all 8 of them!) and the design of the box.  A lot of thought and effort has been put into the selection of each and every product.  The items each come with an information card and beautiful packaging.
If you are looking for a way to reach out to those who are working each and every day to make life better for themselves and their communities, look no further, the team at Sanaya Set has done the work for you!  For $99 per box, per season, you can do good in a way that feels good and looks good.
Check out our unboxing video here:
Thanks for checking out our unboxing and be sure to check out Sanaya Set for you or as a gift!
Your Chicks,
Rina and Sonia
Beauty, Fashion, friends, girl talk, Lifestyle, trending, women

You Are The Company You Keep : Why We Blog

It was a life lesson my parents tried to teach us at a young age: if you surround yourself with go-getters and motivated individuals, it would ‘rub’ off on you and make you that way.  We didn’t always understand what they meant – or if they just didn’t like our friends growing up – but the older we got, the more we understood. Surrounding yourself with like-minded and successful people can inspire motivation.  Success, learning, and networking is like an addiction — once you get a taste of what it is like to be ‘one-of-those-people’, you become empowered to continue to learn and create.

Getting a graduate degree was step one for us. We were surrounded by colleagues who were motivated to pursue further understanding and deeper thought. We began learning the importance of not just accomplishing a task, but enjoying the process of collaborating with peers. And it may sound silly, but our lifestyles as a whole began to shift; we started spending more time in coffee shops getting to know people and their passions rather than partying at bars and nightclubs where the discussions were more superficial.

Once Upon a Dollhouse
With Dani and Caitlin of Once Upon a Dollhouse

Most recently, we discovered blogging. Once we entered this sphere, we quickly recognized that this was largely a female-dominated industry filled with creative influencers, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists.  The desire to have these women ‘rub’ off on us was real.  We have always had a strong network of women in our lives, from our Mom to our five aunts to our cousins and  to our friends, it’s hard to ignore the magnetic energy that a room full of women can produce.


We didn’t know at the time what we were bringing to the table. We did know that we had something to offer.  In this past year, we have truly grown as individuals and as bloggers.  Joining groups where women were open to listening and sharing ideas (e.g. the Windy City Collective, Chicago Grammers, and Style Collective) has been meaningful and beneficial.  Somewhere along the way in these discussions, it did ‘rub ‘ off and we caught the bug to try something new and push ourselves professionally and creatively. This infectious transfer of motivation among women helps us to enjoy the blogging process and to have fun even when things seem hectic.

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We are getting a second chance in our thirties to redefine the next fifty years of our life. Although we don’t know what we are going to do with that opportunity yet, we do know that we will continue to grow.  We are truly grateful to the people we have met along the way who have been generous with their ideas and time – shout out to Annie Spano and the dolls from Once Upon A Dollhouse to name a few.  They inspired us to see a bigger picture and talk through a path with us chicks.

Blogging is about reciprocal influence by sharing who you are with the universe and letting the universe shape you. At Chicks and Salsa, we are trying to do just that one week at a time. Thanks for hopping along for the journey. Get out there, form connections, empower yourself and inspire others. Check out our Chicks And Salsa Chick Chat podcast to hear us think out loud about other things in life that motivate us!

Until next time,

Your Chicks,

Rina and Sonia