On Growing As You Go: An Interview with Ndi Jeru Of Tribe And Sol
Ndi explores her inspirations and the challenges she has faced as a side hustler and small business owner amid the pandemic.
On June 20 and 21, we hosted craftHER Market (At Home), a virtual marketplace amplifying 60+ women and nonbinary small business owners impacted by COVID-19 closures. Throughout that weekend, we had more than 5,000 virtual guests show up and more than 50% of our vendors used their booths to fundraise for racial justice orgs, too. As we build off of that momentum and continue to navigate a global pandemic, we’re going to spend the next few months profiling some of the small business owners who joined us. This week, we’d like you to meet Ndi Jeru, a repeat vendor at craftHER Market (both online and off).
As the founder of the Tribe and Sol vintage, Ndi curates and creates a wide array of vintage goods—ranging from earrings to woven trays. In this interview with with bbatx committee member A’nysha Aileen, Ndi explores her inspirations and the challenges she has faced as a side hustler and small business owner amid the pandemic.
ABOUT NDI JERU AND TRIBE AND SOL:
Tribe and Sol is a curated brand of elevated loungewear and jewelry offerings that celebrate the traditions of powerful women. Embracing all cultures and curves to enhance the ease of life, Tribe and Sol engages in intimate moments as a ceremony to elevate luminaries who adorn their bodies with ever-evolving style.
Through Tribe and Sol, Ndi honors her mother, a vintage maven, and pulls from the methods of her youth by rebirthing size-inclusive silhouettes that carry the stories of her ancestors. Discovering the value in heirlooms, Tribe and Sol treasures the inheritance of material history as a legacy across generations.
Ndi also creates for the effortless woman drawn to color, texture, and culture—women that are artists, style influencers , and world travelers who live intentionally, love abundantly and walk in power, watering everything beneath their feet.
Can you tell me about the origins of Tribe and Sol?
Tribe and Sol was created to honor the women in my family and the legacy of my Ghanaian roots. From an early age, I’ve had a love for jewelry, invading my grandmother Mattie’s jewelry box of strung pearls, vintage pendants, and clip on jewels. Mattie would sit me on this brown dresser during the try-ons and compliment how beautiful I was. I watched as she crocheted these divine articles of clothing to adorn her daughters.
My mother was really into vintage and would take me to thrift stores and fire sales when I was young to help her merchandise her brick and mortar—and that set the stage for my future, too. I “have an eye for cool things,” as someone once told me. I love to feel the softness of fabric paired with the textures of jewelry. In remembrance, I curate vintage loungewear and create jewelry full of color, texture, and lyrical design. It connects me to home where I’m secure and can abide in my sanctuary as free as I want to be. It gives me a sense of wholeness and I can feel the presence of my beloved Mother with me always.
What drove you to make Tribe and Sol your side hustle?
It’s been a road of unraveling the layers of life, to find my purpose. One day, I went through a really rough patch in life. I had a financial struggle that led to homelessness and I lived in my car for about a year. I knew I had to do something so I prayed. I promised God that if He would restore my stability I would embark on this journey of using my gifts and abilities for His glory. During those times to myself I remembered that being a maker is in my lineage and in 2016, I took a leap of faith (after years of working in retail and being uninspired, not feeling creative at all). I did my first outdoor market in April 2016 and never looked back. I’m motivated by my passion for design and curation discovering different processes keeps my mind on learning and evolving.
In pushing Tribe and Sol forward over the past four years, what has kept you motivated—and what advice do you have for other up and coming Black makers?
Some sound advice for up and coming Black makers—and any artist, really—is be your authentic self. There are millions of people who do cool things. Don’t think you have to copy or mimic another brand just because it works for them. (I see it too often in the maker community.)
People will support who you really are, and who you are is necessary. Stay focused on what is in front of you. Use the resources that you have, and you will be led to the path that is for you. Don’t think you have to wait, either. Start with what you have and where you are, and things will fall into place. Grow as you go. Be confident, speak your truth be open to collaborating with people. Don’t let the fear of being the only one stop you. And for Black makers and small business owners in particular, go out and make your Black voice heard. We need you.
Speaking to resilience in our current moment, what kinds of barriers have you run into with the pandemic?
I was laid off my nine-to-five as a marketer in March due to Covid-19. I didn’t have income for over two months. I was extremely stressed out about the uncertainty of my business and livelihood, not wanting to have old circumstances resurface. On top of that, all of my sales events for Tribe and Sol were canceled. I also applied for small business loans and was denied. I’m trying to find ways to connect with my customers through social media, though. It’s been slow but steady, and I’m hopeful about that.
What exactly does that pivot look like?
The challenge of sustaining myself through the chaos of this world has allowed me to take better care of myself and brand at a pace that feels right. Everything has slowed way down and I don't have the same pressure to produce and meet deadlines. I have been able to take time to get to know the evolved me and understand what I give my audience in the most effective way. Lately, there’s also been an increase of visibility and online sales and activity, which I’m overwhelmingly grateful for.
What is the best way for the community to support you right now?
Right now, I’m investing in my business and taking my art full-time. I would love to have community support by donating to my GoFundMe or sharing in the event if they’re not able to give themselves. It’s not something I would normally ask, but in the last few weeks, I have seen the impact of what community can do. That is what I asked God for the most—support, engagement, connecting with my audience on all levels and those things are beginning to happen for me. I know it’s time to deepen the development of my brand.
Where can people learn more about Tribe and Sol?
To learn more about Tribe and Sol follow my Instagram. I post on my IG stories mostly, and in the highlights on my profile weekly. Subscribe to my monthly newsletter at the bottom of my store’s site to get updates about new products and happenings in the Tribe and Sol community.
How To Stay Present—And Go Slow—In A Noisy World
What does it look like to go slow, re-center and get a little breathing room?
It’s not easy to take it easy—the world is loud and that can make it difficult to tune into our own needs and feelings. So, we partnered with WORD Agency and International Day of Rest founder Zoila Darton during STAY HOME CLUB to host a talk on The Rituals of Life. What does it look like to go slow, re-center and get a little breathing room?
In Darton’s talk, she took us through four reminders that help her find routine—and ground herself when life requires a little resilience.
Photo by Morgan Pansing.
ABOUT ZOILA DARTON
Zoila Darton is a passionate innovator and skilled connector with 10+ years of success in the business of entertainment and entertaining; starting in the music industry where she was the Director of Marketing and Artist Relations at boutique Latin Music Publishing and Distribution company Mayimba Music. After delivering dynamic digital campaigns and events in music, she parlayed her knowledge of relationship-building, cultural trends and conceptual ideation into launching the boutique agency WORD, where she builds meaningful marketing campaigns and consumer experiences from the ground up. She prides herself on being a master connector and excels at fostering community both online and off.
HERE ARE ZOILA’S FOUR SIMPLE KEYS TO GOING SLOW AND GETTING INTO THE RITUAL OF LIVING:
1.) BREATHE AND BE IN YOUR BODY.
Finding time to breathe and be in your body is a great and easy grounding exercise if you’re struggling to remain present without responding to the world’s noise.
2.) MIND YOUR BUSINESS.
This is easy to say, but difficult in practice. If you’re struggling to remain present or find yourself losing ground, Zoila recommends redirecting your mind toward your own needs.
3.) DO ONE THING AT A TIME.
From making coffee to making your bed, anything can be a ritual—it all comes down to the way you do things, and the attention you give your routines. Zoila says that resisting the pressure to multi-task and focusing on one thing at a time, whether hanging out at home or at work, helps her slow down and get creative about the problem or task at-hand.
4.) SET MORNING AND EVENING ROUTINES.
To feel grounded—in just about anything—we need a clear start and finish. Instead of waking up or going to bed with a social media scroll or inbox check, Zoila recommends bookending your day with a morning and evening routine that provides time to clear your head and explore what brings you comfort. Eventually, if you stick to these routines long enough, you’ll establish daily rituals that prioritize rest and help you disconnect from a stressful day.
If you’re looking for new morning rituals, here are some things Zoila recommends giving a try:
Wake up at the same time everyday.
Meditate (or another exercise that clears your head).
Engage in some type of movement (yoga, stretching, running, dancing, etc.)
Do some breathwork.
Journal.
Read.
Pull cards, do some candle magic.
Set affirmations.
Have a beauty routine or some sort of get-ready routine.
If you’re looking to improve your evening-time routine, Zoila recommends the following:
Have a tea ceremony.
Engage in ritualistic cleansing (clean your house, light a candle—whatever that looks like for you!).
Moisturize—rub oils, cream and/or lotion into your skin.
Or dry brush!
Put on a face mask.
Take a bath.
Step away from your screens! Try to lessen time in front of the TV, on your computer and on your phone before going to bed.
You could also try grounding techniques mentioned in her morning ritual recs, like going to bed at the same time daily, breathwork, meditation, reading or journaling.
At the end of the day, Zoila says to “remember to enjoy the experience of life—don’t just look for the rewards.”
ZOILA ALSO RECOMMENDS:
Devi Brown’s Divine Timeout - great for deepening your inner work.
Melanie Santos Instagram account is great to follow for guidance!
Download the Calm App. Zoila especially loves and highly recommends the sleep stories. :)
Zoila’s a big fan of a new meditation app called Balance, and suggests to check it out.
Reading Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear—the title speaks for itself. :)
LOOKING FOR MORE?
Keep up with what we’re up to at bbatx—from virtual events to membership—here.
If you’d like to keep up with Zoila, you can follow her on Instagram, check out her new editorial online destination Our House, and find out more about her WOC-owned LA-based creative house, WORD, here.
A Stay Home Guide To Hand-Sewing 101
In this guide, bbatx committee member Stephanie Page demystifies sewing and beaks down the meditational aspects of mending one’s own clothing.
Spending ample amounts of time at home has definitely found us getting our creative juices flowing. From making music, to crafting, to even putting together a 1000-piece puzzle, hobbies have definitely made a strong comeback.
So, we recently collaborated with bbatx committee member and artist Stephanie Page for a virtual workshop on one of their favorite hobbies and creative practices: sewing. Focused on the creative use and reuse of materials, Stephanie’s workshop demystified the experience of sewing and broke down the meditational aspects of mending one’s own clothing. They discussed how inspiration can be found all around you—both online and off—and how revamping your own clothing not only adds new value to it, but helps to avoid the waste of another garment in a landfill.
Read on to learn their hand-sewing basics if you’re looking to get crafty during quarantine.
ABOUT STEPHANIE PAGE:
Stephanie Page is an artist who is curious about the ways our clothing choices shape the world and our interactions with others. Born in Houston, Stephanie’s relationship with fashion and clothing goes way back, being a lifelong fashion lover and eco-conscious artist, in addition to having a professional background as an international fashion model and buyer in NYC. Stephanie has without a doubt seen the in’s and out’s of the retail manufacturing world, and they often find joy in making the old new again. You can usually find Stephanie in the studio creating costumes for stage or everyday life, concocting kitchen magic, or scooting around town or to the greenbelt. You can also connect with them on Instagram at @vividvoltage.
here are stephanie’s 7 hand-sewing basics:
1.) Thread or Floss?
All you need to start hand-sewing are the basics, which you can easily score in the form of a beginner’s sewing kit during your next grocery store trip to HEB. Scissors, needles, and thread will do the trick. A good starting point is deciding which string of choice you’ll be using! Stephanie recommends polyester thread for seams, but you can easily use the dental floss in your bathroom for decorative stitches.
2.) Thread your needle and knot the thread.
To prevent tangles, get a piece of thread (or floss!) that’s the length of your arm, and then thread your needle through its eye (All parts of the thread and needle are labeled in Stephanie’s hand-drawn guide below).
Once you’ve threaded your needle, it’s time to tie the knot. Hold your threaded needle between your thumb and forefinger, with the needle’s point facing outward. Loop the long tail around the needle shaft, with the end at the eye of the needle.
Then, pinch the thread end and needle with your thumb and forefinger.
Use your free hand to wrap the thread three times around the shaft, wrapping towards the point.
Pinch the wrapped thread and pull towards the end of the needle, towards the eye. Voila! Your thread should now be knotted.
3.) HOW To: Make A RUNNING STITCH.
Running stitches are good for basic seams, patchwork, and quilting. You’ll want to use shorter stitches for strength and longer stitches for a decorative look. For a visual of what a running stitch looks like, see Stephanie’s hand-drawn guide below!
Start with a threaded needle and puncture your material from the underside of the fabric upwards.
Pull your thread through your material.
Next, from a short distance from that first point, poke from the top of your material downwards.
You’ve made your first stitch. :)
Repeat for the length needed and knot off on the underside.
4.) HOW TO: MAKE A BACK STITCH.
Back stitches are ideal for solid embroidery lines, embroidery corners, and seams that need more strength. To see what they look like, see Stephanie’s hand-drawn guide below.
Start with a threaded needle and stab upwards from the underside of the fabric.
Next, poke downwards from the top of the fabric a short distance from the first point.
Stab upwards with your needle, skipping forward the length of one stitch.
Then, stab downwards in the same hole of the previous down stitch.
Come up, skip ahead again, and repeat.
5.) HOW TO: MAKE A WHIP STITCH.
Whip stitches are good for patches when trying to secure one to your material around its edges. See Stephanie’s visuals in their guide below.
Stab your needle upwards on the inside portion of the patch.
Bring your needle back down through your base material, creating a straight stitch about 1/8” long.
Repeat around the perimeter of your patch.
6.) HOW TO: PUT ON A BUTTON.
Cut a piece of thread that’s about twice the length of your arm.
Fold your thread in half and take hold of the center folding point of your thread. Thread this point through the eye of your needle, pulling the thread tails to equal lengths and knot.
Stab upwards through the fabric and button-hole, then down through another button-hole.
Repeat three times and knot off on the underside.
7.) The Important finishing step: SECURing YOUR STITCHES!
When you’ve finished your stitches or are nearing the end of your thread, it’s time to secure the stitches with a new knot. With 6-8” of thread or floss, follow these steps (and see Stephanie’s diagram below for a visual):
Leave a small loop on the backside of the material.
Thread your needle through this loop (loop A). You should now have a larger second loop (loop B).
Thread needle through your larger second loop (loop B), slowly pulling until taut.
You have successfully secured your stitches with a new knot. :)
Want more?
You can learn all of Stephanie’s helpful tips and tricks in their full art demo by gaining access to our STAY HOME CLUB Archive. If you previously RSVP’d for any of our April digital events, you should already have access to the password-protected archive page. If not, shoot us an email at thebabes@bosbabes.org. If you didn’t attend any of our STAY HOME CLUB e-vents, our complete archive is available for purchase for $10 at bossbabes.org/guides.
We Are Virtual Through September 1: BBATX's Response to COVID-19
We’re resisting the anxiety spiral and focusing on ways to give and get support. Join us?
Editor’s note: This post is being updated in realtime to reflect our response to the City of Austin’s rapidly changing policies and guidelines regarding use of public space and gatherings surrounding COVID-19 concerns. Currently, Austin residents are encouraged to socially distance and the City is exploring another shutdown.
It's been a difficult few months, but life's a spectrum, baby. We are hanging in there and we hope you are, too. We have made a few changes to our programs in light of coronavirus and we want you to have all the right information.
Here's everything you need to know:
1.) In an abundance of caution, all of our scheduled in-person events have been postponed through September 1—and we are now entirely virtual.
We're not closing down, and we're not going anywhere. We're just being abundantly cautious and want to do all we can to flatten the corona curve. Our contracted event staff are taking a stay-cation and our production volunteers are getting a well-deserved break.
In place of our in-person events, our teams have rallied and taken the org virtual. You can access all of our new programming, as it’s announced, here.
2.) We’re resilient and amazing (and so are you)—but navigating coronavirus closures poses a few unique challenges.
We sustained a $4000 organizational loss from the cancellation of our CYBERBABES showcase on Sunday, March 15.
craftHER Market was postponed to October 3 and 4 from April 11 and 12. We’re sustained a $15,000 loss due to this postponement, too, but we are grateful to have the resources to pivot. Our vendors, many of which are small businesses and organizations themselves have been offered the option to request a refund or participate in the market this summer. All of our vendors will be given digital opportunities leading up to August to support their work (we’ve already hosted the first of those initiatives, a digital craftHER Market on April 11 and June 20).
Our residency program, which amplifies the work of 10 to 15, Texas-based women and nonbinary visual and musical artists, has been through a few shifts. All of our spring and summer showcases have been indefinitely postponed—and we're gearing up for this program’s hopeful return in Fall 2020. We are currently finding ways to virtually celebrate the work of women and nonbinary artists in our residency.
Our annual convening of minds, BABES FEST, has been postponed, too.. Having hosted more than 7500 guests and 280 artists in the last four years, we’ll now be returning for our fifth year on November 6 and 7 (either in person or digitally). To stay in the loop, you can sign up for updates at babesfest.com.
3.) With that, we are focused on resisting the anxiety spiral. Join us?
Beyond regularly checking who.int and cdc.gov, there are ways for you to give and get support through bbatx during this time.
ATTEND OUR VIRTUAL PROGRAMS: Since the COVID-19 closures began, we have taken our programs online. We've connected hundreds of creatives, entrepreneurs and leaders in our networks to resources and we've put on digital events that have been visited by the thousands in support of our community. <3 You can keep up with what we have planned here.
GET SUPPORT: Over the last few months, we’ve created a COVID-19 Resource Guide, Anti-Racism Work Resource Guide, as well as published interviews and reminders for resilience from our community. Click here to read and catch up.
SIGN UP FOR OUR MEMBERSHIP LAUNCH: We’ve been working on membership program for well over a year and this unexpected public event hiatus has made its launch paramount. Click here to get updates and join our membership when it’s live.
SUPPORT OUR RECOVERY EFFORTS: Over the next few months, we’ll be engaged in recovery efforts across our programs. This looks like asking for donations, but it also looks like promoting the hell out of our events and community. Subscribe to our bimonthly newsletter to stay in the loop or keep up with us on social media (@bossbabesatx on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter). That’s the best way to stay in the loop..
WHEN IT’S SAFE TO HUG, COME SAY HI. OK? We’ll need you!
We have been able to keep our staff employed and honor our contracts with community members, small business owners, creatives and participants in our programs. And that’s a real win. In the event anything changes, our community will be the first to know.
Please be mindful of your health and stay home. If you have any questions around coronavirus, feel free to email our production team directly at thebabes@bossbabes.org. We want you to be safe and healthy always!
Thanks for riding with us,
Jane Hervey, Founding Executive Director at bbatx
NEED SUPPORT?
On our blog, we’ve curated lists with mental health resources, community aid networks, as well as funding and job opportunities. Click here to access the resource guides.
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.