Supermaker: Crafting Business on Your Own Terms

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Every waking moment of your life does not need to be optimized to make you a better, more profitable you,” Duffy explains. “Pandemic or otherwise, you have worth outside of your output.” To be sure, our work obsession is nothing new, but perhaps this crisis is giving us a beat to question what we once thought to be normal. With so much is in flux right now, making space for your brain to rest and process may uncover some clarity about how you want to emerge in the future. “Unstructured time may not look ‘productive’ from the outside because it doesn’t generate a tangible output,” adds Duffy. “But it can help surface latent insights into how you’re feeling and what you need more of to get through this time.” Functions Smooth soup, chunky soup, milkshake, smoothie, dessert, ice crush, compote, stir, multigrain milk, hot sauce, blend, pulse, heat steam As Beecroft says, we don't have to be productive to take care of ourselves. Often, not being productive is taking care of ourselves. “Sometimes doing nothing, lounging on the couch and relaxing are great forms of self-care,” she continues, noting that taking a break from everything is often exactly what your body needs, particularly when dealing with anxiety.

An important note: Brex does a great job of offering a wide range of rewards that would be enticing and applicable to most startups, but beyond the hype, a company should consider whether they currently spend in Brex’s reward categories to truly reap the benefits. What are some differences between Brex and other cards?

Kate was about a year into her freelance career before she was introduced to Binders Full of Women Writers, a private Facebook group set up in 2014 that serves as a space for women and non-binary writers to share job opportunities and discuss professional struggles. Today it has over 46,000 members and has spawned various subgroups catering to different focus areas and identities. During a recent group video chat, where my friends and I gathered to virtually celebrate my birthday since we couldn’t be together in person, we discussed the sudden normalization of remote work. The majority of my friends who don’t work in essential fields, like medicine or food retail, now work from home. Though I felt grateful that some employers are taking this pandemic seriously, I also felt frustrated that, in the past, when asking employers to work remotely as an accommodation for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and autism, I have been refused. Being home all the time can make it hard to set boundaries around work and can lead to hyper-focusing on productivity. “It’s common to feel that since we are home we should be using this time wisely and to be productive,” says Elizabeth Beecroft, LMSW. “With less of an agenda, it becomes easier for pressure to arise as we think we should constantly be doing something like we might be used to.” And, with people also spending more time online, it’s easy for social media culture to amplify feelings of guilt around productivity. Themes will focus on 1) channeling your center—your core, intuitive energy as an entrepreneur and creative—and 2) learning to rise above adversity so you can achieve success on your own terms and build impactful brands. As a leader of a company so deeply intertwined with the finances of so many businesses across the country, and as the husband of a small business owner, I am personally focused on solutions,” Ferrand wrote. “We are hearing the challenges you’re all facing firsthand, and taking action to help.”

As hirers start to wise up to the fact that freelancers are enthusiastically discussing how organizations treat them, freelancers can hopefully spend less time fretting over unpaid bills and fighting to prove their worth. In turn, this should make for a happier workforce—an important shift, given that one study reports that 80% of workers who think they are not appreciated find their job has a negative impact on their private life. Recipients will receive capital and coaching from the Supermaker Mentor Network, a dream team of 50 business leaders from Mark Cuban to Rebecca Minkoff, with representation from companies including Unilever, Adidas, Harry's, and many more. Which leads me to why we’re here: I am honored to present you with the Supermaker Gift Guide, just in time for the holiday shopping season. Below, a highly-curated list of perfect gifts for all the Supermakers in your life.

Staying grounded amidst instability

Terri is a writer, researcher, and program coordinator for the US's first academic trivia league for HBCUs. She lives and works in New Orleans, with her partner, their 3 kids, and an ever-growing book collection.

Despite the rise of body positivity, the fashion industry still falls short Meet the Founders Challenging the Shape of Plus-Size Fashion Kate is one of 57 million freelancers in the US, a group that’s expected to account for 50% of the country’s workforce by 2027. This is a shift being seen around the world; over in the UK, for example, the number of freelancers between 26-29 has risen by 66% since 2008.Only 19 percent of people with disabilities in the United States are employed and disabled people are legally paid a subminimum wage for their work. Working from home may not be possible in every industry or job and might not be the right accommodation for every disabled person, but it can be incredibly helpful to many. The ability to work remotely can have an immense impact on people with disabilities’ professional pursuits, affording them more control over their working environment. And yet, these options are not always made available. But why has inactivity become our enemy? Maybe it’s because when we do things that are deemed productive it gives us less time to think about the reality of the moment and all of the big unknowns. “If you stuff your plate with work, there’s no space for those feelings to surface,” says Duffy. If we fill our time with at-home activities like puzzles, stress-baking, and Marie Kondo-ing our apartments, maybe we’ll forget, even if just for a few moments, the weight of our global circumstance. On doing nothing The freedom and autonomy that comes with being your own boss is a captivating prospect for many people, but it’s also sadly true that those who spend most of their time working at home are more likely to struggle with their mental health than the wider population. As well as grappling with loneliness and isolation, freelancers are more likely to experience depression and suicidal thoughts, while the stress that comes with navigating unpredictable workloads (and clients who don’t realize how their behaviors might contribute to or exacerbate these challenges) is also taking its toll. Freelancing is this really singular thing. You’re doing this work, it’s really individual and you’re doing it alone—probably in sweatpants on your couch. But you still need colleagues,” Kate says, reflecting on five years spent working for herself. “That’s how I think about Study Hall. It sounds cheesy, but I think about these people like my colleagues.”

Yes, I know Anti came out in 2016 and maybe that’s a dated reference. But I don’t care, it’s a bop. And Rihanna is always relevant.) Whether you’re shopping for that friend who just launched their own business, or the partner who travels often for work, there’s a little something for everyone here. Compiled by the entire Supermaker team, this list considers entrepreneurs, artists, activists, and YOU. Kate says she can identify a marked difference between her first year as a freelancer and now that she has become involved with freelancer communities. And though these spaces have helped her to hone in on her professional marketability and industry know-how, they’ve also had a profound impact on her mental state. Adeigbo says working with the iconic Maasai women in Kenya and watching them incorporate traditional beading into her last collection was unreal. “They were paid more than the manager of the luxury Safari retreat that I was staying at for their work,” she says. “My dream is to have the volume to take care of as many women as possible with a full-time job.”If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, Beecroft recommends journaling and practicing breathing exercises. Further, it’s not a bad time to find a therapist if you aren’t seeing one already, especially with so many digital apps out there. Moving your body and eating nutritious foods ( because nutrition impacts mental health) can also help, but remember to be flexible rather than rigid with yourself. Finding time in your day to relax or do something you enjoy may help to calm your nerves. Plus, these practices can ultimately lead to better focus in the moments when you do need to get something done. Ultimately, as a therapist once told me, the best thing to do is to meet yourself wherever you’re at. We believe in the power of Supermaker to contribute towards an ambitious entrepreneurial future for the business leaders of tomorrow. Brex co-founders Henrique Dubugras and Pedro Franceschi aim to even the playing field with their two-year-old fintech company that’s making waves in the startup community. Brex issues credit cards to startups and other ventures looking to get their company off the ground. Additional Brex offerings include a high-yield business cash management account with no transaction fees.