The Modern Muse Co.

10/19/2021

It's (almost) the most wonderful time of the year!

✨The Elf on the Shelf's Magical Holiday Journey✨ is coming to the Fairplex in Pomona, CA (and to DFW, for our Texas friends!).

Our amazing partners as Gelson's Markets are doing a giveaway, so be sure to enter (see how below!).

If you can't wait, pick up tickets at elfontheshelfjourney.com and use promo code 🎁5OFF🎁 for $5 off select tickets!

P.S. - Don't forget to follow Magical Elf Journey or we'll put you on the "naughty" list! 😉

🎉GIVEAWAY TIME🎉 Enter for a chance to win a four pack of tickets to Magical Elf Journey: gelsons.com/elfontheshelf

08/16/2021

ONLY TWO WEEKS LEFT!

If you haven't been to The DiscOasis, don't wait! The party ends two weeks from now. Use promo code MMCO for $5 off weeknight tickets.

Get your glitter, sequins, seventies gear and skates and get down to South Coast Botanic Garden - stat!

Buy tix now:
https://bit.ly/MMCODiscOasis

07/30/2021

FRIDAY FRIENDS
⚡️⚡️⚡️

Even a muse needs a muse sometimes.

Heidi Luerra of Hatch Planning & Strategy - a boutique consultancy that helps creative entrepreneurs plan and strategize their businesses for launch and growth- is absolutely one of ours.

With Hatch, Heidi draws on her nearly 20 years of experience owning and operating her own creative companies to help small businesses became profitable and sustainable on their own terms.

Heidi is also the Founder & CEO of RAW: natural born artists, an Inc 5000 fastest growing company that she bootstrapped from $0 at her kitchen table to a multi-million-dollar global enterprise. She is also the author of The Work of Art Book: A No-Nonsense Field Guide for Creative Entrepreneurs and regularly contributes to panels, podcasts, and advisory boards in the arts and education, and entrepreneurship.

We've read the book, we've been to RAW's awesome showcases, and yes - we're Hatch clients, too! There is literally nothing this powerhouse woman can't do, and we're eternally grateful to have her in our inner circle.

For more info: www.heidiluerra.com

07/12/2021

We don’t know about you, but we are SUPER excited for the opening of The DiscOasis at South Coast Botanic Garden this week!!! 😍

Use promo code 👉🏾MMCO👈🏾 for $5 off weeknight tickets in July!

See you there! 🛼🌴💃🏼

07/10/2021

We had so much fun helping Cookies Hayward with their booth at Downtown Hayward’s Grand Reopening event today! Fun crew, fun crowd, fun client. 🙌🏼🍪😉

06/11/2021

Our founder, Brigette Young, was a guest on The EventBuzz Podcast with Savannah McIntosh from Purplepass.

Tune in to this 30 min. session for tales transitioning from in-person to virtual events during COVID, pop-up events, increasing brand exposure, and leveraging the power of brand partnerships and micro influencers.

https://bit.ly/2U1ZKX2

Brigette Young, the Founder of The Modern Muse Company, a marketing agency, joins the show to share her marketing expertise! With advice on mini pop-up events, brand partnerships, and marketing strategies for 2021 as events make their comeback.

06/10/2021

Already an entrepreneur or interested in becoming one? Be prepared for very high highs, some very low lows and everything in between.

Read on to see what our founder, Brigette Young, has to say about How To Successfully Ride The Emotional Highs & Lows Of Being An Entrepreneur in this Thrive Global interview.

https://thriveglobal.com/stories/2220151/

Set boundaries. One of the mistakes many of us make is saying “yes” to everything when we get started because we feel we have to. That’s only partially true. You have to get some momentum but at some point, you need to lift your head up, look around and decide if you’re spending your energy,...

06/04/2021

FRIDAY FRIENDS
📌📌📌

Denecia Jones is a VERY busy woman.

She's a Work-Life Balance Coach, a Certified Corporate Trainer, an ICF-certified Professional Life Coach, a certified Los Angeles County Bar Association Mediator, a certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner and (seriously, one more!) a Business Strategist.

If you know Denecia like we do, then it comes as no surprise that this firecracker of a woman has a handle on so many ways to help her clients improve their lives by leveraging her vast knowledge and experience.

When she's not saving the world or having an adventure, her mission is to educate others on how to find their true Balance Within. She enjoys coaching busy people and entrepreneurs on the various ways to improve their productivity, time management, and work-life balance for the long term.

Denecia’s organization is certified as a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) from the State of California, and other contracting agencies.

For more info on Denecia and to get in touch, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/djsworld

05/21/2021

FRIDAY FRIENDS
📸📸📸

Bilingual and bi-cultural, Lien Chen grew up between Upstate NY and Taipei, and specializes in introducing niche brands with a social impact punch into the mainstream.

After working as a Mandarin news broadcast journalist in Taipei, she turned her attention to LA and found fun and purpose in achieving audience fluency & influency for crossover brands (like herself!)

-As Marketing Director at a Series A tech startup and launching Grammy-nominated Trey Songz's fan app
-As Co-Founder of the Taiwanese American Film Festival
-Most recently, building brand and community for HBO Visionaries, a short film competition launching filmmakers into mainstream Hollywood at Great Company.

She is currently developing her photography practice alongside her communications career and offering shoots (headshots, family, concept) starting at $75.

We adore Lien and her boundless creativity and raw energy, and we're sure you will, too.

Get a 2021 photo refresh! You can visit www.bylienchen.com to take a look at her work.

P.S. If you happen to be a , mention it when getting in touch! ✌🏼

05/19/2021

WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY
🧘🏻‍♀️🧘🏽🧘🏿‍♂️

It's Mental Health Awareness Month, and a good time to get in touch with how we're feeling.

There's a lot of anxiety swirling around as we figure out how to safely reopen, and it's beneficial to pause, take a breath, and proceed with intention...in all things!

05/12/2021

WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY
👩🏻‍⚕️🧑🏽‍⚕️👨🏿‍⚕️

Happy International Nurses Day!

While today is ALSO "Space Day" and "National Receptionist Day," given the last year-ish, we definitely want to call out the amazing and brave job that nurses all over the world do (often thanklessly) each and every day.

We can personally speak to the power of a good nurse in a tough situation - they bring caring, comfort and healing all at once...and we are so grateful.

It's important to point out (especially during AAPI Heritage Month) the plight of nurses during COVID. According to a recent Newsy article written by Cat Sandoval, "Filipinos make up an estimated 4% of U.S. nurses but account for 26% of COVID-related nurse deaths. Out of all nurses of color who have died from COVID-19 in the U.S., Filipino nurses make up by far the largest share."

But why? Sandoval goes on to explain that, "Filipino nurses tend to work in 24/7 in patient care settings with high stress and long work hours, like the ICUs. And because there are a lot of Filipino immigrant nurses, some are less likely to complain or feel like they can't speak up when faced with stressful or dangerous work environments."

You can read more here: https://bit.ly/33Ezfsk

And, once again, don't forget to thank all of the nurses in your personal life, and those who take care you. We're all very lucky to have them.

📸: Karolina Grabowska

04/30/2021

FRIDAY FRIENDS
💘💘💘

If the past year has taught us anything, it’s that relationships matter more than anything. And for those seeking romantic relationships, it’s been a particularly hard year.

Dating is tough in person, and even tougher when you reduce it to apps, sites, texts and Zooms. It can be time-consuming, disheartening and frustrating. But what other options are there?

Carla Swiryn knew in her heart that there was a better way to bring people together. As a professional matchmaker, she spent years studying what ignites that romantic spark and how to bring people together. But that wasn’t enough for Carla. She doubled down on her expertise and created DateSpot – a place where singles AND matchmakers can connect and be connected.

DateSpot is free for singles, and matchmakers can use DateSpot as a mega-database of singles to find potential matches for their existing (paid – and therefore serious) clients. The site also offers vetted, peripheral services such as professional photography, personal styling and relationship coaching to help singles put their best foot forward.

In a world where we outsource just about everything to experts, why should dating be any different?

For more information, visit datespot.love

04/29/2021

WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY 💗💗💗

Having a rough day? It's proven that doing something nice for someone else will make you feel better.

Or, just do something kind...because you can.

04/24/2021

FRIDAY FRIENDS
🤤🤤🤤

We're huge dark chocolate lovers, and we know that dark chocolate offers some health benefits, like . But what if it could offer much, much more?

At 28 years old, Andrea Pedersen was diagnosed with pernicious anemia which eventually lead to the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis. She began researching how to support her immune system with nutrient-dense foods and discovered the amazing nutritional benefits of blackstrap molasses for treating anemia. With further research she discovered how the antioxidants in cocoa have the ability to carry nutrition from food into cells, and the idea to combine cocoa with blackstrap molasses was born.

Typically, sweet treats are the first “no-no” on the list that have to go when changing your lifestyle. Andrea was determined to create a product that satisfied her sweet tooth without compromising her health, and she succeeded with the creation of Cocolasses Dark Cocoa Syrup.

The syrup is , , and , and it tastes absolutely delicious. If you're ready to upgrade your daily shake, yogurt, ice cream or baked goods, look no further. We still can't get over how good this stuff tastes.

Buy now on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3emdTos

04/23/2021

It's Earth Day today, and the perfect time to incorporate environmentally friendly practices into our daily lives. The best way to move mountains is to start with small, sustainable efforts that become automatic over time.

One of our favorite ways to stay green is by repurposing household containers like this Bulleit bottle. We filled it with sweet-smelling roses, ferns, greens and some famously easy-to-propagate cuttings. They root in water, and you can replant or gift them!

04/21/2021

WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY
✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾

Yesterday we saw and his family. But our work is far from done. This is one of many steps we must take to make right what has been wrong in our country for far too long. We must fix a broken system, and we must do it together.

04/16/2021

FRIDAY FRIENDS
🧃🧃🧃

Emily Page is the Founder and CEO of Pearl Resourcing and has over 12 years of experience in selling consumer brand products in the food industry...AND she's launched multiple 7-figure brands into retail and e-commerce with 2-5x growth in sales.

Having products in Costco, Williams Sonoma, Kroger, and Amazon.com means Emily knows what it takes to make and grow a brand. She's also a fantastic, fearless leader and always the first to volunteer a helpful tip or resource to her clients and greater small business community. She's passionate about what she does, and puts a lot of effort into lifting up those around her.

Her company, Pearl Resourcing, is a full-service custom packaging & product development company. They help businesses sell physical products and launch new SKUs fast, with packaging and product development services tailored to help them become retail and online commerce ready. They guide businesses from concepts to tangible realties with their bespoke Pearl Resourcing design process.

We guarantee you've seen some of their gorgeous work before, and...well, now we're hungry.

For more info about Pearl Resourcing, visit pearlresourcing.net

04/15/2021

WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY
🎨🎨🎨

We do a LOT of event marketing here at MMCO - and sometimes that means putting on mini events.

In 2019, we promoted Amaluna - Cirque du Soleil at three IKEA locations in SoCal. We worked with Paintillio to create a custom Amaluna paint-by-numbers canvas that customers and employees painted together. The finished piece was then hung in the stores! We also had signage, music, costumed characters, a special discount code for IKEA FAMILY members, plus games and giveaways for the kids. As you can see, it was a lot of fun...and certainly a memorable experience for those who shopped at IKEA on the event days!

This past year has been hard, without much to do in-person. But as it becomes safer, we'd love to help you promote - or even create - a special experience to build customer loyalty and generate sales.

04/09/2021

FRIDAY FRIENDS
👗👗👗

We are big, big fans of vintage fashion. It's funky, fun and sustainable, too.

At Honey Cooler Hollywood, there's no need to dig through racks of nasty throw-aways. Proprietor Vanessa Burgundy's offerings are impeccably curated, ALWAYS on point, and there are options for just about every decade, taste and size.

Vanessa has been collecting since the early 90s and selling on and off since 2009. She opened a store inside her art gallery (Burgundy Room Gallery) in 2019, had to close in 2020, and then transitioned to online and appointment only.

In her own words, "I love most eras and have a soft spot for the 30s. My fashion inspirations range from Cleopatra to Kelly Bundy. I love the vintage community and that it's made up mostly of women."

Honey Cooler offers exquisite vintage, antique and curated modern by Hollywood's glamour experts and is located in the heart of Tinseltown.

We dare you to visit her store and not find something you SIMPLY. MUST. HAVE.

Shop now: https://etsy.me/2PLumKA

04/07/2021

WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY
🎸🎸🎸

The power of love, ya'll! No matter how many bad things are happening around us, let's keep fighting that good fight.

04/02/2021

FRIDAY FRIENDS 💇🏼‍♀️💇🏽‍♀️💇🏿‍♀️

Is there anything that makes us feel better than a fresh haircut, color or style? We think not.

Crystal Young is the Founder, Owner + Head Stylist at Vintage Rose Salon in Auburn California. She’s been a stylist for 17 years, and in 2014, she converted a beautiful historic Victorian home – the Vogler House – into an eco-friendly salon offering luxury services and the highest-quality hair and skin products from around the world. Vintage Rose has become a premiere destination for hair, massage and esthetic services.

While that’s impressive, what really makes this small business owner tick is connecting to her community. She consistently advocates on behalf of local small businesses – whether it’s through the press (she’s been featured in the Sacramento Bee!), by partnering with other local brick and mortar businesses, or by carrying products made by local artisans in her salon. During the early days of COVID, she expertly pivoted to sell products online and via socially-distance front-porch pickup – a service her customers loved and deeply appreciated. Crystal is also known for her charitable holiday campaigns, including collecting donations for organizations such as Stand Up Placer, a non-profit community-based organization providing comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking in Placer County.

If you’re in the area and in need of a hair appointment, waxing, a facial or a massage, we highly recommend Vintage Rose. And while you’re there, pick up a VOLUSPA candle or two. We guarantee you’ll look beautiful, but more importantly, you’ll feel great, too.

For more info, visit www.vintagerosesalon.com

03/31/2021

WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY
🌸🌸🌸

It's ALMOST April, and we are fully feeling the arrival of Spring. In fact, in the Bay Area, where we're based, you can literally smell flowers in the air.

It's a time of renewal, a time for fresh starts, and astrologically (ya know, if you're into that kind of thing), a time to let go of what no longer serves us.

If that includes changing up your marketing strategy, we're here for you! We offer solutions for consumer-facing businesses of all sizes, and we'd love nothing more than to help you leap forward this year.

P.S. And don't forget - tomorrow is April Fools' Day. 🙄

📸:

03/26/2021

FRIDAY FRIENDS
🥱🥱🥱

Let's be clear...we are NOT morning people. But we also know that mornings are when most people are the most productive. So what do we do to make mornings a little less painful, and to start our day off on the right foot?

Lizzie Brown is co-founder and CEO of Yoga Wake Up, an app that is making mindfulness a daily practice by delivering it conveniently and aligning with your AM/PM routine. What started as an alarm clock alternative now bookends your day with easy audio-guided yoga and meditation. The app is free and comes with a handful of sessions to try out, plus a 7-day trial unlocks that the membership. The full membership boasts 375+ sessions for morning, bedtime or anytime, and includes all kinds of , guided meditations and stretches you can do at your desk. And it’s not just for yogis!

Lizzie hopes everyone will give it a go and see if waking up with mindfulness makes a difference in their mood — she's betting it will! It’s a pandemic-friendly solution to stress, anxiety, loneliness and sluggishness.

It’s the feel-good app we’ve been waiting for, and it sounds like a lil' slice of heaven to us.

Learn more at yogawakeup.com. Available for iOS and Android.

03/24/2021

WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY
💔💔💔

It breaks our heart that we even need to say this. To all of our AAPI family, friends, colleagues and community members... We love you, we support you, and we stand by you.

03/20/2021

FRIDAY FRIENDS
🍷🍷🍷

If you love wine, then you NEED to follow Laura Brown. This Nashville-based is Level 3 certified by the Wine & Spirits Education Trust which means her knowledge is "advanced" (or in our world, she always pours up the perfect glass!).

Laura currently works with Vin Social, a company founded and run by strong . Vin Social features smaller producers who are focused on , farming, and working with and winemakers worldwide. They also offer a membership box that allows consumers to travel by glass to a specific region each season.

Laura loves leading virtual tastings for businesses all over the U.S. and teaching people "back pocket" information they can easily recall when engaging in wine drinking experiences. She's also working on initiatives to make wine education and experiences accessible and inclusive for the community.

In her words, "Wine is a connector - I feel strongly that the best fellowship is over some great and wine at a table, even if that's virtual right now. As such, no one should have to fight for a seat at said table."

Did we mention Laura's also a full-fledged sign language interpreter? Yeah, she really is THAT talented and cool.

Follow Laura on IG .language.interpreter

03/17/2021

WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY
🎂🎂🎂

WE'RE FIVE!!!

We're so excited to announce that it's our 5th birthday this month! The Modern Muse Company launched in March of 2016, and we have been so lucky to serve so many wonderful clients in our 5 years of existence. Our deepest thanks to all who have worked with AND for us in that time!

In celebration, we're posting this gorgeous, Spring-inspired cake by Cocoa Macaron, one of our very favorite L.A. caterers.

Chef and Owner Marina Zarnegar specializes in making all of her offerings with the freshest seasonal ingredients and no preservatives. Her work is pure visual perfection, and it tastes even better than it looks. There is literally nothing this woman can't do...and she does it all with a smile. Marina is one of our favorite female entrepreneurs because everything she does, she does with love.

Check out her French pastries, cakes, petit fours and much more cocoamacaron.com.

03/12/2021

FRIDAY FRIENDS
😌😌😌

The world is still weird, and while things are looking up, we can't help but still feel that stress is prevalent... ESPECIALLY with the boundaries between work and personal life having all but disappeared.

Enter badass entrepreneur Ritu Riyat, Founder of The Stress Detox. Ritu is a public health professional who helps individuals and organizations around the world curb stress, anxiety and burnout. She integrates two decades of experience in workplace wellness, yoga and meditation into her training and development programs.

In Ritu's words, "The Stress Detox 3D Framework is designed to help you optimize stress and build resilience. It is rooted in developing awareness, discovering hidden stressors, and doing something about it."

The Stress Detox is a highly-rated course on Udemy for Business and is translated in 7 languages and reaches over 7,500 students around the world.

Feeling a little calmer already? Us too.

For more information about The Stress Detox, visit www.thestressdetox.com.

03/10/2021

WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY
🖥 🖥 🖥

How would you like your employees, colleagues and peers – the people you work with – to get along better, develop effective , do it faster, and be happier? People learn that sharing stories about their backgrounds leads to finding common ground. And when colleagues know each other better, they want to do a good job for each other. Learn from case studies of organizations that have successfully achieved a high degree of .

Join MMCO client and rockstar Barry J. Moline TOMORROW (Thurs. 3/11) at 11 a.m. PST for a FREE virtual talk on how to Effectively Communicate, Collaborate and Build Great Teams.

Register now: http://bit.ly/3v9OE05

03/06/2021

FRIDAY FRIENDS
⚖️ ⚖️ ⚖️

Every business owner needs a trusted (or three) in their life – and as many of us know, there are SO…MANY…KINDS of attorneys out there!

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re thrilled to feature our dear friend Stacia Hofmann - Cornerpoint Law, JD, ARM. She practices business and , with a focus on contracts, at her law firm, Cornerpoint Law.

Stacia is passionate about helping small businesses - particularly those that are women- and minority-owned - minimize the risk of lawsuits. Going to court requires investments of time, money, and emotion that, with control and planning, can frequently be avoided. Stacia drafts business agreements and customer , provides advice about insurance coverage, advises on employer/employee relationships, develops tailored risk management policies and procedures, and, if necessary, litigates disputes for her clients. Her clients include small businesses across many industries, including construction, retail, restaurants and nightlife, professional and other services, and sports and entertainment.

Stacia recently served on the board of the non-profit organization Women Business Owners, and acted as an arbitrator of disputes through her county court. Stacia loves talking about the law and sharing its nuances with others, and has taught various continuing and classes. She enjoys spending time with people from different generations and currently volunteers at her local senior center.

A native of beautiful Baker City, Oregon, Stacia obtained her law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, in San Francisco in 2005 and her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Southern California (Go Trojans!).

We can’t think of an attorney we’d rather have on our side than Stacia. Smart, talented and most of all, kind. And she has one of the best laughs we’ve ever heard!

For more information on Cornerpoint Law, visit cornerpointlaw.com.

03/03/2021

WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY
🙋🏼‍♀️🙋🏽‍♀️🙋🏿‍♀️

It's Women's History Month, and we'd be remiss if we didn't take a moment to reflect on what it means to us this year.

We don't know about you, but prior to January 20th, it kinda felt like we were being not-so-subtly forced back into some Black Mirror-esque dystopian time where our freedoms were a privilege, not a right. The pandemic only compounded everything, with millions of women (temporarily or not) giving up their careers to keep their families going...an extremely unselfish, sometimes necessary, and almost always professionally-compromising "choice."

It's still not over. We're still fighting against harassment in the work place, over our basic life choices (seriously, South Carolina?!), over pay gaps and pink taxes. Much like the need to fix systematic racism in our country, we still have a long way to go before women are truly equal.

This month, we ask you to make it a point to . Put yourself in the shoes of your partner/friend/colleague/sister/mother when they share stories about how women are treated, because things still aren't okay. Promote the women around you - personally and professionally. Shop at female-owned businesses. Watch women's sports. Read books, watch movies or view art created by women.

Most of all, remember that the goal should ALWAYS be gender equality (and that includes our non-binary friends!).