On January 26, 2020, Her Campus at UCLA had the most #PositivelyMinnie time at the first-ever Polka Dot Summit Presented By Create + Cultivate and Minnie Mouse at Los Angeles, CA. Create + Cultivate, the leading online platform for today’s career-oriented, driven women, invites the industry’s hardworking, creative and self-made women for a weekend filled with inspiring talks about jump starting their careers, how Minnie inspires them, and how they embody Minnie’s very characteristics. Hundreds of Disney and Minnie Mouse lovers alike filled the venue with so much girl power, and of course, polka dots! We were able to get a glimpse of Day Two and feast our eyes on the most aesthetic and blush-pink venue of the day. Apart from this, we had a day filled with inspirational talks and sounding advice from Alex Morgan, Noelle Saggs, Meghan Rienks, Brittany Sky, Jeff Shelly, Jeannette Ogden and Gemma Correll.
The first talk of the summit was moderated by Create + Cultivate’s Editorial Director, Sascha Strebe, entitled “Bold Moves: How To Fashion The Life And Career You Love” featuring five women from different industries who showed the ropes and realities of their careers while describing how Minnie inspires them all.
Jeannette Ogden, the founder of the blog shutthekaleup, opened up about the ins-and-outs of starting her own business and taking that leap of faith. “I just wanted to be stress-free, be able to do something that she was passionate about, and that led me to teaching yoga, [and] there, I learned who I really was.” This ultimately helped her gain the confidence to talk to different individuals and find her power. Going strong in its five years, shutthekaleup, contributes to the positive and healthy life she has always aspired to lead and continues to build her up, whoever she wants to be.
Gemma Correll, an illustrator and author of A Pug’s Guide to Etiquette, The Feminist Activity and The Worrier’s Guide to Life, shared how she became successful in turning creativity into something profitable. Correll shared how she only works with brands that she agrees with and how staying true to your values is highly important. “People want to see authenticity and your personality comes through.” In terms of personal style not interfering with the brand’s goals, Correll pointed out that it is still vital that you put your own touch into it, or otherwise it just will not seem real. Remaining positively you is a crucial component in the success and Gemma advocated for staying true to your classic brand.
Meghan Rienks, a Lifestyle Youtuber and influencer who has over 2M subscribers on her Youtube channel, encouraged women to learn the power of saying no as a way of staying true to your values. “If you’re following what you really like, there’s just a natural line through it all,” says Rienks. She also advised knowing what works for each platform such as short captions on Instagram and longer descriptions on Youtube, as an example.
Noelle Scaggs, the lead singer of her band Fitz and the Tantrums, talked about the importance of building trust, especially in the people you work for in business. Scaggs also shared how she comes from a generation of women who know their way around things, and how at the end of the day, “you have to remember, at the end of the day, you’re the one walking your shoes and not them” despite the comments and constant remarks by peers.
Brittany Sky, a New York/Los Angeles-based DJ, advocated for always taking risks, and shared “if you feel it in your gut, and you know what you’re passionate about, just take that leap of faith because what’s the worst that can happen?” Your passions and talent are always worth the investment!
The summit also shared its stage with Jeff Shelly, the Character Art Director for Walt Disney Imagineering, as he took us to the foundation histories of Minnie and other characters throughout time! Shelly also shared the creative importance of not using an eraser during the sketch. Shelly said that erasing the art interrupts the flow of creativity. Artists tend to forget what their purpose and where their soul was in the first place when they try to perfect a piece; art is not about perfection, but about the story and feeling that is being put into it, regardless of the mistake or not.
Finally, the event’s keynote speaker, Alex Morgan, the co-captain of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, emphasized the importance of always showing your capabilities and never letting anyone define your worth. Morgan shared her childhood memories of always having the energy to do anything she sets her mind into until her parents noticed it and put her into sports. From then on, she had the mentality of always giving your best effort.
Over the years, Minnie Mouse has taught us how it is to be bold, fun, classic and fashionable. We left the summit feeling more empowered to be our authentic selves and excited to cultivate the path we should be making as women. Thank you so much to Create + Cultivate and Minnie Style for having us, and we look forward to the success that Polka Dot Summit will harness in the years to come!
Image Credit by Mikee Lachica