An Update on BBATX: The Impact of COVID-19 And Our Efforts To Stay Open
In the last month and a half, we’ve lost about 75% of our revenue with COVID-19 closures and have yet to receive a SBA or PPP loan—but we know our work is still necessary. So, we’ve decided to participate in #GIVINGTUESDAYNOW.
Times have been weird and wild for us at bbatx (and we’re sure they have for you, too).
In the last month and a half, we’ve lost about 75% of our revenue with COVID-19 closures and have yet to receive a SBA or PPP loan—but we know our work is still necessary. So, we’ve decided to participate in #GIVINGTUESDAYNOW.
For 24 hours on Tuesday, May 5, we’ll be fundraising to continue doing what we do best: create resilient communities invested in gender equality, creativity and inclusion. You can help us show up for the thousands of women and nonbinary creatives, small business owners and leaders in our programs by spreading the word or making a donation directly here.
Everything counts. <3
here’s everything you need to know:
1.) What’s going on in the bbatx community?
At bbatx (#bossbabesATX), we provide education and exhibition opportunities to women and nonbinary creatives, entrepreneurs and professional leaders through large festivals, conferences and events. In the last month, due to the pandemic, our community has been hard-hit, from navigating layoffs to the loss of their small businesses to our collective mental health.
In response, we've done what we do best: share resources and make space. Since March 15, we have distributed thousands of digital resources for creatives and entrepreneurs, supported 20+ artists and freelancers with commissions and connected 60+ small businesses impacted by COVID to new clients and customers. We’ve also hosted free workshops and educational webinars for hundreds in our community to explore financial wellness, mental health, pivoting in a crisis and resiliency in these weird times.
2.) What kinds of barriers is the nonprofit facing?
We’ve had to postpone the majority of our in-person programs (and nonprofits like ours will be in the last group of businesses able to reopen), so we’ve lost 75% of our revenue. We also have yet to receive a SBA or PPP loan. With your support, we can:
Cover our monthly rent: $1350
Cover our monthly subcontractor costs to keep our programs alive: $6500
Cover our monthly administrative costs for technology + web hosting: $1,000
Cover the cost of our paid opportunities for women and nonbinary creatives and small businesses: $7000
Cover the hard costs of supplies and materials to produce our programs and provide services: $5000
3.) I want to donate. How can I get involved?
Donate directly to cover our losses and costs through #GivingTuesdayNow by clicking here. You can also RSVP for updates on our #GivingTuesdayNow events on May 5 here.
Attend a virtual event. Seriously—every time you attend an event of ours, you’re putting your dollar, attention and time toward women and non-binary creatives, entrepreneurs and leaders. Showing up counts.
Join a program. Applying to participate in our festivals, markets and conferences is a great way to get involved with bbatx and benefit from the community we cultivate. You can also become more embedded in the community by attending our intimate workshops and smaller meet-ups.
Explore membership. This summer, we will be introducing bbatx’s first-ever membership for women and nonbinary creatives, small business owners and leaders looking to learn and build community.
Become a partner. Partners donate between $500 to $20,000+ to our programs. They give us the foundational, financial strength we need to employ our staff, hire artists, book venues and invest in community outreach.
Donate to our programs. It takes $250,000 per year to what we do, and every dollar toward those expenses helps us survive.
Buy from our shop. Everything in our store benefits our programs, by directly contributing to our staffing and administration costs. (Plus, it's all cute and for the most part eco-friendly and sustainable.)
Subscribe to our bimonthly newsletter. Opening our emails and tuning into what we do beyond social media helps us become less dependent on Instagram’s and Facebook’s biased algorithms, while ensuring you stay in the loop.
Read our blog. Knowing more about our community and our values helps you become a better advocate for our values and ideas.
Volunteer with us. When you donate your time to bbatx by volunteering at an event, you help us reduce the cost of our programs and keep both ticket prices, booth fees and other things that our community pays for more affordable.
Download These 5 Custom Zoom Backgrounds By Women Artists in Texas
Whether you attend one of our upcoming virtual events or navigate other virtual community spaces, you are welcome to use five of our custom backgrounds.
At bbatx, we’ve been doing all we can to introduce virtual programs—that bring our community together during these weird and difficult times.
Getting creative and problem-solving are things that we do best. So, we decided to bring a little joy to our Zoom calls by commissioning artists in our residency to create virtual photobooth backgrounds. Now, whether you attend one of our upcoming virtual events or navigate other virtual community spaces, you are welcome to use five of our custom backgrounds.
All we ask is that you pay it forward—and spend a little time getting to know the artists behind each design.
Meet the artists.
Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Aimée is a visual artist shows work employs abstraction and figurative work to explore communication, gender, race psychology and social commentary. Aimée M. Everett live and works in Austin, Texas.
Mural Nomad is a project by artist Lina Zuluaga, a Colombian designer & user interface engineer based in Austin Texas. She is interested in our relationship with technology and uses a blend of hand & digitally made images to create abstract moments in time. She uses symbols and non linear storytelling and has been inspired by art history, technology, cartoons, music and new art processes.
bbatx is a Texas non-profit that amplifies women and nonbinary creative, entrepreneurs and leaders.
Whitney Batres is a visual artist who currently resides in Austin, Texas with her husband and their cat, Karen. In 2015, she graduated with a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Texas at Austin and stuck around for the people and the food. Her inspiration comes from family and cultural traditions of domestic craft, and aims to bridge the gap between craft and fine art in her work.
Misa Yamamoto // Essentials Creative
Misa Yamamoto is a Graphic Designer and Art Director for visual arts collective, Essentials Creative, based in Austin, Texas. Essentials incorporate multi-faceted disciplines such as photography, fashion, graphic design, video, projection, animation, music, and installation. Although a single image may include many Essentials members, there is always a unified vision of experimentation, fluidity, and diversity.
Want to get involved?
At bbatx, our programs are effectively postponed through May 15 due to COVID-19 orders. And we are taking the hit—we want to flatten the curve. We’re thinking you’re probably right there with us. And if you’re anything like our team, staying put and staying quiet isn’t quite what we do best. Especially in times of uncertainty.
So, to keep us indoors and connected, we’re launching STAY HOME CLUB. STAY HOME CLUB is a once-weekly virtual gathering on Saturdays in April, featuring creatives, entrepreneurs and leaders from our programs. We’re going to share resources, explore rest and new routines, talk about layoffs and career pivots and show up for our creative and small business community.
All genders and professions welcome. We hope to see you stay home. RSVP here.
5 Short Films By Texas Women To Watch This Weekend
As we gear up for our first-ever virtual edition of BABES FEST this weekend, our founding Executive Director Jane Hervey has selected five of her favorite short films from previous BABES FEST lineups.
Over the years, we’ve hosted more than 50 short filmmakers at BABES FEST, our annual festival celebrating women and nonbinary creatives. As we gear up for our first-ever virtual edition of BABES FEST this weekend, our founding Executive Director Jane Hervey has selected five of her favorite short films from previous BABES FEST lineups. Watch and enjoy!
Photo by Bonica Ayala from We Are: A Short Film Series
1.) WE ARE FILM SERIES
We Are - A Short Film Series — We Are is an anthological short film series that offers a glimpse into the lives of seven women of color navigating their way through friendships, self-doubt, and quarter-life crises in Austin, Texas.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER:
Bethiael Berhane Araya is an Eritrean and Ethiopian-American filmmaker and producer based in Texas. After interning for director Richard Linklater, she created and directed the short film series, We Are, which was picked up for distribution by Issa Rae Productions. Her latest short film, Yirga, had its world premiere at SXSW 2019 and she’s currently penning her feature film debut.
2.) FEMME FRONTERA
The Inaugural Femme Frontera Film Showcase — The first annual Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase premiered on August 1st, 2016 at the El Paso, TX Alamo Drafthouse to a packed house. It then embarked on a national U.S. tour screening at independent theater houses, universities, and film festivals. The Showcase is a celebration of women filmmakers living on the U.S.-Mexico border region.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS:
Femme Frontera was founded in 2016 by six female filmmakers from the U.S.-Mexico border region of El Paso, Texas, Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. We advocate for the amplification of films made by women from border regions across the globe. In 2017, Femme Frontera was featured in Variety Magazine, Remezcla, and Texas Monthly magazine, among others. The Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase began as a celebration of films made by women filmmakers from the U.S.-Mexico border region. Since then, we have expanded to include powerful short films from around the world, whose stories challenge perceptions about women, border communities, immigrants, people of color, the LBGTQ community, and other marginalized communities. For 2019, Femme Frontera will host its first annual Children’s Showcase as part of its additional programming. Femme Frontera is Angie Reza Tures, Ilana Lapid, Iliana Sosa, Jazmin Harvey, Jennifer Lucero, and Laura Theresa Bustillos Jáquez.
3.) FEMBEAT
FemBeat Docuseries — FemBeat is a documentary series that showcases different self-identifying women and non-binary folx in our community. Through an intersectional lens, we strive to provide an uninterrupted platform for storytelling and sisterhood.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS:
Samantha Skinner and Kayla Abuda Galang formed FemBeat in 2014 out of a shared desire to create a platform to help women share their stories, be heard, and heal. Many short films, online premieres, and live events later, FemBeat has grown into a seasoned team with a full production schedule and an unstoppable passion to represent and support women of all backgrounds.
4.) UNTAPPED
Untapped Docuseries — Directed by Antonette Masando, Brown State of Mind follows Austin's rising creatives as they share their personal stories and perspectives on the city's burgeoning cultural arts scene. Meet digital storyteller Evelyn From the Internets as well as music artists Mélat, The Teeta, Joaqu.n, Mike Melinoe , and PNTHN.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER:
Antonette Masando is a multimedia creative based in Austin, Texas. In 2016, while attending the University of Texas at Austin, she began her media work as a music intern at radio stations KUTX 98.9 and KMFA 89.5, and later, as a promotions assistant at iHeart Media, Inc. She then went on to host and executive produce the entertainment news show Austin Underground, honored as the “Show of the Year” and “Best Social Media” by Texas Student Television in May 2018. Today, Antonette continues to amplify Austin music culture through video production and podcasting. Her latest project, ‘Untapped’, focuses on the lives and experiences of up-and-coming artists of color across the city.
5.) LE 27 JUILLET
Le 27 Juillet — Jessie relives the memories of her struggle with depression as she waits in line to put minutes onto her phone. The more she waits, the more she is exposed to a new and growing fear.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER:
Deborah is a Haitian filmmaker based in Austin, Texas. Her passion for her home country of Haiti drives her to bring to light unique stories centered around the Haitian narrative and the Haitian Diaspora. She has worked with organizations such as Counter Balance ATX, 70 Million Podcast, the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, Just Liberty, Frontier Camp, and Jacob's Well Camp, and has worked for and interned at Austin Film Society, Austin Public, and Austin Film Festival. Her script Catharsis: A Journey Through Anger was a quarterfinalist for the Fall 2019 Screencraft Film Fund scriptwriting competition and is being turned into a short film that will be released later this year.
curious about BABES FEST?
You can catch a virtual version of the festival this weekend and join us in-person on September 3, 4 and 5 in 2020. You can learn more about submitting to the fest and attending the festival here.
Introducing the Stay Home Club: Our April 2020 Virtual Gatherings
We’re going to share resources, explore rest and new routines, talk about layoffs and career pivots and show up for our creative and small business community.
At bbatx, our programs are effectively postponed through May 1 due to COVID-19 orders. And we are taking the hit—we want to flatten the curve. We’re thinking you’re probably right there with us. And if you’re anything like our team, staying put and staying quiet isn’t quite what we do best. Especially in times of uncertainty.
So, to keep us indoors and connected, we’re launching STAY HOME CLUB. STAY HOME CLUB is a once-weekly virtual gathering on Saturdays in April, featuring creatives, entrepreneurs and leaders from our programs. We’re going to share resources, explore rest and new routines, talk about layoffs and career pivots and show up for our creative and small business community.
All genders and professions welcome. We hope to see you stay home.
On Reclaiming Joy And Resilience: Listen, Read and Learn During COVID-19
Everyday that our programs are postponed, we will introduce three things for you to listen to, read and learn from. Curated by our team and our community, we’re expecting these daily drops of joy and reflection to be pretty damn good.
In mitigating the spread of coronavirus, our communities and country at-large have made rapid changes regarding the use of public spaces, social interactions and local businesses. We know these changes have left many of us grappling with financial fears, navigating abrupt interruptions to our lifestyles and work, while also disrupting access to the things we need.
For those reasons, the past few weeks have been rough on the creatives, entrepreneurs, leaders and broader community that we serve, too. (You can learn more about the ways that coronavirus is affecting our organization here.) As an organization, we might not have all of the answers—but we are going to do what we do best: gather resources, brainstorm and get creative.
In that vein, we’re introducing LISTEN, READ AND LEARN. Everyday that our programs are postponed, we will introduce three things for you to listen to, read and learn from. Curated by our team and our community, we’re expecting these daily drops of joy and reflection to be pretty damn good.
This blog post will serve as an archive and running log of all that we release each day. You can follow along across all of our social media channels—@bossbabesatx on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook—to stay in the loop. Or just come back here to check in.
LISTEN, READ AND LEARN WITH US.
1.) CARE FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH.
Need to find some calm and center? bbatx committee member and Licensed Professional Counselor Ilyse Kennedy shares four strategies for caring for our mental health while in a crisis. Click here to read.
2.) STREAM MIRA MIRA MIXES.
If you’re craving mental space, subscribe to Mira Mira’s vinyl, vintage music mixes. It’s only $5 a month and every penny goes toward virtually supporting Mira Mira aka Xochi Solis, an Austin-based creative and DJ who sits on our board at bbatx.
3.) MAKE TIME TO READ.
Earlier this year, we shared 15 books we’re reading for personal and professional pleasure. Add them to your reading list here.
4.) LEARN FROM THESE SMALL BUSINESSES STEPPING IT UP.
Austin just released an order warranting the effective closure of many small businesses in Austin, Texas—the order also closed for pushing restaurants into curbside pick-up and delivery. It’s been tough for all, but we’re proud to live in an innovative community. These smart cookies have kept our spirits up:
Crema Bakery + Cafe (women-owned) has been using their time to offer free meals to those in need, so has Tso’s Chinese Food Delivery (women-owned).
Antonelli’s Cheese (family-owned) has invited their community to do wine and cheese tastings from home—just pick up the plate then call into their Zoom chats.
Give Local has created a directory of Austin-based businesses and restaurants you can buy gift cards from so they can keep the lights on.
5.) GRAB A FREE COPY OF GET SELF-ORGANIZED BY OUR FOUNDER, JANE HERVEY.
Written by group work and bbatx founder Jane Hervey, this 14-page, little guide is designed for emerging and pivoting leaders. Comprised of 10 core questions, the zine is a helpful tool for creatives and entrepreneurs sorting through changes, centering your decision-making and developing tools and strategies for resiliency. Typically, the book is coupled with a course that Jane teaches (which she was planning to teach as a fundraiser for bbatx on March 28). Since that has been postponed to June 27 in response to COVID-19, she is offering a free digital copy of the zine in the meantime. Click here to download.
6.) WORK TO PLAYLISTS BY CHULITA VINYL CLUB.
Chulita Vinyl Club is made up of women, gender-non-conforming, non-binary, LGBTQ+ and self-identifying people of color. CVC launched in 2014, with the context of providing a safe space for empowerment, togetherness and to utilize music and vinyl as a form of resistance against the erasure of culture. You can listen to different playlists from members in the collective here.
7.) ATTEND OUR COVID-19 SMALL BUSINESS PIVOT WORKSHOPS.
We'll be hosting an online workshop in a few weeks exploring crisis management, pivoting budgets and strategies as well as preparing for Tax Day on April 15. Click here to attend.
8.) LISTEN TO THIS MIX BY DJ SHANI.
This particular 2.5-hour mix was live-recorded at our annual BABES FEST in 2019. Click here to listen.
9.) GET TO KNOW LA GOONY CHONGA.
Originally scheduled to perform at our now postponed CYBERBABES showcase, Latina rap recording artist La Goony Chonga shares her thoughts with us online about rapping, motherhood and the music industry. Click here to read.
10.) DOWNLOAD OUR CREATIVE AND ENTREPRENEURIAL WORKBOOKS FOR FREE.
Reflecting three years’ worth of presentations at our biannual creative and entrepreneurial conference, WORK, we just made our workbooks completely free to download. Head to bossbabes.org/guides to grab all five books and sharpen your leadership, storytelling and business management skills during this time. Click here to download.
THIS LIST WILL BUILD OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, SO COME ON BACK.
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Found this really helpful? Donate to our programs.
On Rapping, Motherhood And The Music Industry: La Goony Chonga
In anticipation for her headlining performance at our CYBERBABES showcase this Sunday March 15, Goony shares some of her inspirations, her thoughts on the music industry and what it means to be chonga.
Over the last decade, La Goony Chonga has blossomed.
At the start of her rap career, she was a dancer and primarily writing in English. Then, in 2017 after the birth of her first child, she began writing in Spanish and incorporating trap beats into her sound—which transformed her music into an emblematic representation of Latin rap pop.
With every opportunity and change, though, Goony has always remained true to her chonga roots, repping for Miami and ensuring that the chonga lifestyle (popularized in the early aughts) gets the cultural recognition it deserves.
In anticipation for her headlining performance at our CYBERBABES showcase this Sunday March 15, Goony shares some of her inspirations, her thoughts on the music industry and what it means to be chonga.
who: LA GOONY CHONGA
La Goony Chonga (@lagoonychonga) is a Cuban-American recording artist/songwriter from Miami, Fl. Since beginning to record music in 2012, she has released four solo albums along with popular singles such as "Tira-Tira" and "Buena y Guapa.” As an icon in the latina community, many know her music to be empowering and energetic. Her latest release is her album Dimen5ión with JHawk Productions where she infuses west coast sounds into her latin trap style. On the album, she collaborates with different artists like Brooke Candy & La Zowi. La Goony Chonga also showcases her genre diversity with songs like "Pensamientos" and "Dejame Amarte" where she experiments with singing and more chill instrumentals. A fan favorite is her 2nd single off the album titled "Duro 2005" which brings us back to the classic reggaeton music she grew up listening to.
Goony, let's start with your career thus far. Can you take us through where you were when you started versus where you are now?
Since I started releasing music in late 2012, things have definitely changed. I started off only rapping in English and my brand was very "stripper" from like 2014 to 2017, being that I was a dancer. After getting pregnant in 2017, I stopped dancing and my brand was solely focused on chonga. In 2016, I started making music in my native language—Spanish—and it was the best decision I ever made. I basically took the same style and "trap" sound and switched it up in my language. Since then, my sound has continuously evolved into what it is now. If you go through my discography you can hear the evolution and how I have experimented with different genres. What has remained pretty much the same is the empowering feeling my music has always gave off.
Of your released projects, which are you into the most and why?
Honestly, I love them all. they are all my babies and represent different times of my life. If I had to pick my favorite it would definitely be my most recent album "Dimen5ion" because this is where I took that sound from my previous album "Dinero" and elevated it to the next level. I reached levels musically that I never thought I could reach, such as singing and even switching the topic up and making more "romantic" songs. "Dimen5ion" has so many different moods so every listener can relate somehow and thats what I love the most.
How would you describe your creative process? What gets you in the mood to create?
I get inspired by experiences and people. Sometimes, something someone may say can spark up an idea. Most of the time, though, what really gets me going is the beats. When I'm in the studio going through different instrumentals I usually let them speak to me. If the beat is fire, the words and melodies come to my mind instantly. If the beat doesn't really move me or spark up an idea, I won't even bother to force it. It either clicks or it doesn't. Once it does though, a hit is the works for sure!
The word chonga has been reclaimed over the years, moving beyond Miami and into culture as a term to describe self-empowered, kick-ass women. As the ultimate chonga, what does the word mean to you? What kind of power does it hold?
For me, chonga is a lifestyle. It's something I have always been proud to identify with growing up in Miami. It represents who I am. I first heard the word in middle school when all the Latina girls wore big hoops, gelled down ponytails with the wet hair look and the clear glossy lips with the Chinese slippers to go with it. Something about the whole aesthetic and attitude is so empowering. A lot of girls went through a "chonga phase" but for me it pretty much stuck. I will always and forever be a proud chonga.
As a mama in the music industry—and likely one of the only women in rap to publish a music video pregnant—what words of advice / encouragement do you have for other art moms and creative parents?
Being a mother is one of the most beautiful experiences for a woman. I think that as a creative specifically in the music industry, women are always encouraged not to have children especially when you are up and coming. I never planned on getting pregnant, but it happened. Many people didn't agree with my decision to follow through with it. Instead of looking at the situation as an unfortunate one, I looked at it as a blessing and as motivation to go harder. Having my child made me get a lot more serious about the business side my career, too. When I was pregnant, I worked harder than I ever did. I did more music videos and songs during that time more than any other time because I knew that realistically being a mom would set me back a little. More important than anything, women should know that even though you can take what others say and think into consideration, always go with your gut feeling and tap in to your intuition. You know whats best for you.
How do you navigate the ebbs and flows of the music industry? What keeps your head up as the structures behind it shift and opportunities come and go?
The music industry is a crazy game. It’s not always fair to say the least, but I feel like as long as I sty true to myself, work hard toward my goals and keep a strong mindset, my career will continue to flourish. Throughout the years, I have been given so many opportunities and they all led to another. Making music is what I was born to do and that is what I am doing and will continue to do regardless of anything.
What's one thing you've un-learned in the last few years that you wish you had realized sooner?
I have realized that being a successful artist means having your business in order. I used to think making good music was all it took to be successful, but in reality that’s the least important part! If you don't have your business in order, you won't be able to make a living off of music or anything really. Most creatives like myself aren't usually the most business-savvy people, but I have learned to incorporate the two in order to further my success and accomplishments.
Anything else you want to share or say?
Stream and purchase my new album Dimen5ión!!!!
want to see La Goony Chonga in-person?
Goony will be headlining CYBERBABES, our collaborative queer and femme showcase with p1nkstar and Y2K, this Sunday on March 15. Click here to RSVP.
On Style, Activism And Launching A Business At 65 Years Old: Judith Rizzio
Based in Portland, Oregon, Rizzio is a seasoned activist (with her hands in reproductive health, LGBTIA+ rights, AIDs advocacy and prison reform), long-time creative and now 65-year-old small business owner.
In anticipation for The Elephant Table’s collaborative dinner party—A Real Good Time with Judith Rizzio and Jim Dixon—later this month, we hopped on the phone with stylist Judith Rizzio to talk about the growth of her business, Out of Our Closet.
Based in Portland, Oregon, Rizzio is a seasoned activist (with her hands in reproductive health, LGBTIA+ rights, AIDs advocacy and prison reform), long-time creative and now 65-year-old small business owner. In the summer of 2019, she launched “Out of Our Closet,” an affordable alternative to styling services for older women, because as Rizzio puts it, we “have the right to not disappear.”
Over the last few months, the project has gone viral multiple times (like this piece on the Today Show) and Rizzio’s client base has steadily grown, taking Rizzio from what she describes as a “semi-retired” life to a whirlwind of opportunity and possibilities.
This interview was written and conducted by Jane Claire Hervey.
Here are 5 takeaways from our chat with Rizzio on starting a business—and putting your purpose first.
1.) Do your research.
In the beginning stages of any passion-driven project, it’s easy to jump ahead and skip the difficult parts, like creating a business plan, researching product-market fit and imagining what things may look like at scale. For Rizzio, turning her styling hobby into Out Of Our Closet was a researched decision, considering the value of her time and the kinds of customers she wanted to serve.
“I had to figure out the business model,” Rizzio says. “And I came up with an accessible plan, so that women who normally don’t get the ability to hire a stylist or access fashion can do that if they choose—a price point of $45 per hour… that slides and scales.”
2.) Relationships make magic happen.
Some of Rizzio’s best moments with Out of Our Closet have come from the relationships she’s built. For example, Rizzio’s first viral article was written by a friend who had been documenting her journey for a while and decided to pitch the story to a publication. She also gets a lot of stuff done through trade—whether she’s bartering her services for marketing help or to get her landscaping done. And if she’s feeling burnt out, she reaches out to the people around her for support.
3.) Set boundaries, stick to your mission and pivot when needed.
Whether it’s justifying long hours or attempting to tackle too much at once, those first few years of a new business are a blurry, steep learning curve. Daily overwhelm and overwork easily lead to burnout. So, when Rizzio feels like she’s spinning out, she sticks to some of her core working rules: Never give up workouts, You don’t have to respond to everyone right away, and You are in control of this—don’t let this control you.
4.) Stay creative.
Problem-solving takes a lot of brainpower, creativity and play. It calls us to imagine solutions and experiment until those solutions are a reality. For Rizzio, honoring the creative side of her brain is all part of the process.
“When I want to do something creative, I do it,” Rizzio says. “Even if it’s at night after nine o’clock, I’ll just sit down and do it. I really try to keep that part of my brain.”
5.) That voice in your head is a liar. You are not an impostor.
Imposter syndrome—you’ve probably experienced it when you’ve stepped out to try something new or found yourself doing things you never thought you could. It’s that little voice in your head that says this is not for you, you will not be good enough or you’re about to fail. Rizzio says you’ve got to keep that voice quiet.
“You are not a fake,” Rizzio adds. “You have to decide you are going to do it. So many people, especially women, say ‘You know, someday,’ or ‘I would really like to,’ and they work their entire life on something outside of their passions. I’m going to do it and I might fall on my face. You’ve got to do your homework it’s not magic. You’ve got to put the work behind it… It doesn’t mean that it’ll completely work or become the thing that you would like it to be, but you have to stop that loop in your head. Take that step, whatever it takes.”
Want to meet Rizzio in-person?
Rizzio will be hosting an intimate dinner with our friends at The Elephant Table on February 18, 2020. You can learn more about the event and how to get tickets for the 6-course meal here.
Texas Artists And Creatives Raise $11,000 For Reproductive Justice In 24 Hours
On Friday, January 24, 2020, more than 1,000 people joined Texas-based artists and creatives to raise $11,000 for grassroots nonprofits and national organizations invested in reproductive health access.
On Friday night, we hosted our fourth STATE OF THE UTERUS, an annual party for progress raising funds for reproductive justice, community health and gender equality initiatives. This year, we broke our fundraising record and brought in more than $11,000 in donations over 24 hours for the Afiya Center, Deeds Not Words, Casa Marianella, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas and us!
Joined by artists, makers, small business owners, entrepreneurs, community thought leaders and fellow nonprofits, we did more than fundraise—the night was a testament to the power of showing up for the things we care about.
here were some of this year’s SOTU highlights:
In collaboration with SOTU’s nonprofit beneficiaries and reproductive health friends, we created a 12-month action plan, pledging us all to a more feminist 2020. Click here to download the SOTU guide and take the pledge.
More than 1,000 guests joined us to fundraise and advocate for reproductive health access.
Through ticket sales, donations and our arts and activism market, we fundraised more than $11,000 for our nonprofit beneficiaries.
At SOTU, Flo Code and our guests packed more than 1,000 period kits for displaced and homeless communities in Austin, Texas.
Our friends at Texas Freedom Network collected more than 100 post cards addressed to the Texas government, advocating for sexual health education reform.
Deeds Not Words registered voters for the upcoming 2020 elections, while Whole Woman’s Health Alliance collected thank-you cards for abortion providers.
We put out our first batch of SOTU-official merch, including this sticker and this tote. (Every purchase directly donates to the SOTU fund.)
13 thought leaders from across Austin, Texas joined us to share (or perform) their thoughts on reproductive health access.
We danced our asses off to six hours of live sets by Chulita Vinyl Club, DJ Pos Guau and DJ Eye Q, emceed by body-positive activist Erica Nix and artist Belladonna. ~
Our friends at The Rabble showed up to record a new episode of their podcast, featuring Planned Parenthood’s Amna Dermish.
We collected plenty of donations at the bar, thanks to STILL Austin. With every SOTU cocktail purchased (aptly named A Texan Feminist Situation and Life’s A Spectrum, Baby), they donated a $1 to the fund.
One of our 2019 resident artists, Tsz Kam, painted a custom, juicy macaroni backdrop for SOTU.
Alex Perez-Puelles, a reproductive health activist and board member at bbatx, wrote this blog post on how to show up right now for reproductive rights in Austin, Texas.
Thank you to everybody who joined us and made this record-breaking year of SOTU a reality—there’s something truly something beautiful about giving a damn. We’re also grateful to the people and partners who gave their time, money and support, including Cheer Up Charlies, BBATX's staff, committee and volunteer network, Kind Clinic, Still Austin Whiskey Co. and the Austin Chronicle.
WANT TO GET INVOLVED WITH STATE OF THE UTERUS 2021?
Since 2017, SOTU has raised more than $31,000 for progressive grassroots nonprofits and organizations led by women and nonbinary folks. Our beneficiary list includes bbatx, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, The Afiya Center, Deeds Not Words, Casa Marianella, the KIND Clinic, Collegiate Mom Coalition, the Abortion Care Network, the Lilith Fund, Counterbalance: ATX, the Survive2Thrive Foundation, Flo Code, the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, We Are Happy Period and Annie’s List. Head to stateoftheuterus.com to download our guide and sign up for updates on the 2021 party. In the meantime, learn more about everything we do at bbatx here.
15 Books We're Reading For Personal and Professional Pleasure In 2020
If you’re looking for something to read this year that’ll provide you a little space from the 24/7 trash fire erupting on our social media timelines, you’ve come to the right place.
As we step into 2020, our team is reflecting on the 15 books (and blogs) that got us through 2019. If you’re looking for something to read this year that’ll provide you a little space from the 24/7 trash fire erupting on our social media timelines, you’ve come to the right place. Below is a collection of books that taught us something new, brought us joy, pushed us to think deeper or encouraged us to try again. Enjoy!
Here Are 15 Books and Things We’re Reading Again in 2020:
1.) Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino
As a collection of essays analyzing modern-day social justice and social media consumption, Jia Tolentino’s Trick Mirror is a provocative and self-reflective read. Each chapter presents a take on the fine lines between social performance and practice, the difficulties of critiquing a culture that consumes critique for capital and the ironies of striving for professional success as a form of feminism. (This book pairs well with a few hours in the tub and time to think.)
2.) Mixed feelings BY NAOMI SHIMADA AND SARAH RAPHAEL
Penned by model and influencer Naomi Shimada and editor Sarah Raphael, Mixed Feelings combines personal essays and interviews in an attempt to explore the nuances of being a human online. Examining influencer culture and social media’s lack of context, the book puts into words the ambivalence many of us share when it comes to sharing digital selves.
3.) Pleasure Activism BY ADRIENNE MAREE BROWN (AMB)
Penned by activist and community organizer Adrienne Maree Brown, Pleasure Activism is a reminder to do the things that make you feel good, unlearn the things that lock you out of pleasure and challenge the systems that attempt to rob us of our joy.
4.) Her Body and Other Parties by carmen marie machado
Horrific, wild and compelling, Her Body and Other Parties is a series of short stories by Carmen Marie Machado, combining queer theory and science fiction to challenge what we know of contemporary literature.
5.) How To Do Nothing by jenny odell
In How To Do Nothing, Jenny O’Dell uses data, storytelling, history and nature to remind us that what we pay attention to grows. In today’s media consumption economy, choosing our focus and paying mind to what matters is a radical act.
6.) Tales of Two Americas, edited by John Freeman
Examining systemic injustice and classist divides, Tales of Two Americas weaves stories from 36 writers to articulate the polarities of America’s perceives cultures, opportunities and histories.
7.) Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown (AMB)
One of our team’s favorites in 2019, this book presents new ways of looking at leadership, healing and collaboration. It also contains helpful self-questioning guides, group exercises and all sorts of flourishes from AMB herself on the beauty of life and making things with other people.
8.) Becoming by Michelle Obama
As a memoir, Becoming provides a compassionate look into Michelle Obama’s experience as an aspiring career-woman, activist and First Lady. The book doubles as both autobiography and guide, roadmapping the values-driven and life-changing decisions that brought the Obamas to the White House.
9.) Anything You Want: 40 Lessons For A New Kind of Entrepreneur by derek sivers
Short and sweet, this book is a one- to two-hour read, compiling some of CD Baby’s former founder and CEO Derek Sivers’ best advice. From self-funding to staffing, Anything You Want contains 40 bite-sized lessons in leadership.
10.) Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
A work of fiction, Homegoing is equal parts inspirational and devastating, following the journey of two half-sisters through eight generations—from the Gold Coast to the plantations of Mississippi, from the American Civil War to Jazz Age Harlem.
11.) All About Love by bell hooks
What is love? Cultural critic, feminist theorist and writer bell hooks is on a mission to find out.
12.) On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by ocean vuong
An award-winning novel from writer Ocean Vuong, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is a family portrait told through a son’s letter to a mother who cannot read. Exploring America’s relationship to violence, racism and trauma, Vuong examines masculinity, healing, joy and survival.
13.) My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
As humorous as it is murderous, Braithwaite’s debut novel My Sister, The Serial Killer is a fictitious tale of two siblings, navigating life’s expectations, family obligations, dating, marriage and death.
14.) My Year Of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Morbid, grotesque and clever, My Year of Rest and Relaxation is a cutting critique of privilege, addiction and the human desire to be numb to life’s pains and pleasures. Documenting a young woman’s determination to sleep for a year, the author somehow makes the art of doing nothing as scandalous as it is boring.
15.) GAY Mag from medium and roxane gay
Although not a book, Medium’s newest blog-zine, Gay Mag, is edited and curated by Bad Feminist’s Roxane Gay. Featuring emerging and established writers, from personal essays to short fiction, each read is thoughtful and interesting.
WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT WE DO AT BBATX?
Explore upcoming events with BBATX on our calendar and learn more about what we do at bossbabes.org/programming.
On Getting Out Of A Career Rut: A Goal-Mapping Guide By Donnet Bruce
Work through these questions and dream up the next phase of your professional pursuits.
At our biannual WORK conference this weekend, we’re exploring revitalization. What do we do when we recognize we need a change? How can we breathe new life into our work? What does it look like to revitalize our perspectives, mindsets and approaches to work, collaboration and creativity?
In preparation for this year’s theme, creative entrepreneur and consultant Donnet Bruce put together six, little questions for those of us struggling with career ruts. Work through your answers to the questions below and dream up the next phase of your professional pursuits.
HERE ARE SIX QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF WHEN FACING A CAREER RUT:
1. In your childhood, did you have a dream job/business in mind? What did you always picture yourself doing as an adult?
2. If you can close your eyes and think of how you want to feel daily in your career or business, what would those core desired feelings be?
3. What are the top three activities/tasks that always set your soul on fire you feel good doing at work?
4. Based on your answers to the above questions, how does the ultimate vision for your career/business impact society/your community for the next 10 to 25 years?
5. Time to plant the seed! What are the first three steps you will take in the next 90 days that will get your vision up and running?
6. How will you hold yourself accountable in the next 90 days? Who can you check in with to stay on top of your goals? How will you keep track of your deadlines?
About donnet bruce:
Donnet Bruce is a result-driven entrepreneur and connector. Working hands-on with brands to facilitate each to break through to the next level through integrative marketing, Donnet focuses her services on branding, integrated marketing, and impactful experiential strategy. With a Master’s Degree in Integrated Marketing Communications and a background in Sociology, Donnet has both the experience as well as the educational foundation necessary to connect brands to the right influencers to catapult them into success. She has worked on brand transformation projects and events such as BlackTech Week, SoFlo Brunch Series, Blogalicious, InfluencerCon, and Social Media Week. She has also applied her brand-building skills in her own hair care business, Nubian Oasis, established in 2014.
Looking for more work inspiration?
Consider attending our annual WORK conference, which explores ideas and approaches to creative, collaborative and entrepreneurial work. Hosting 300 guests every summer and winter, this biannual, one-day event's panels, workshops and speaker sessions touch on personal and professional development, marketing, wellness, business management and entrepreneurship. ✨The next WORK conference will pop up in July 2020 at the University of Texas at Austin’s Rowling Hall.