April 2020

AUSTIN WOMAN MAGAZINE | APRIL 2020

“One’s philanthropy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes.” –Eleanor Roosevelt

AT MAZDA, SAFETY IS A TOP PRIORITY. Mazda was awarded more 2020 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ awards than any other automaker and was named this year’s Best Car Brand by U.S. News and World Report for the fifth consecutive year.

Explore all the 2020 Mazda vehicles at RogerBeasleyMazda.com

RogerBeasleyMazda.com

celebrating 50 years of great design and strong value

Rustic meets contemporary in an unusual way, with our Italian made, Bella Giorno bedroom series.

Modern day manufacturing, and man-made materials, come together to create a bedroom that makes a statement in any environment. The look and feel of natural heritage oak is actually an easy care laminate that will keep it’s look for years to come, and offers a value like no other.

This is well priced, quality furniture that is responsibly manufactured in Italy.

Queen bed $1079 King bed $1195 Nightstand (left or right facing) $395 each 5 drawer high chest $895 Double dresser $995

Mattress and bedding not included.

contemporary furniture for your modern lifestyle Austin 2236 West Braker Lane 512.451.1233

San Antonio 18603 Blanco Road 210.545.4366

1 0th A N N I V E RSARY CE L E B R ATION Tiniest Texans Gala

Dinner, Auction, & Benefit Concert Featuring

M ART INA M c BR I DE Please visit handtohold.org/gala for more information Presented by

Lead Sponsor

Life without fibroids is just better.

Do you miss work, stay home, or feel out of control of your life because of fibroid symptoms? Is the pain, heavy bleeding, bloating, and fear of accidents just too much?

It’s time for a change. Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is a nonsurgical, outpatient procedure that shrinks fibroids and makes symptoms disappear, so you can enjoy life free of fibroid pain and mess.

UFE for FIBROIDS

CONTACT THE EXPERTS AT ARA NOW! (512) 467-9729 ausrad.com/ufe

Garden-Ville.com Offer valid at Bee Cave, Creedmoor, Georgetown, Evans and Starcrest locations through May 30, 2020, while supplies last. Not valid with any other offer.

PRESENTED BY

SPONSORED BY

CM CONSTRUCTORS || HEALTHCARE FACILITIES DEVELOPMENT || RANGER EXCAVATING || SPAWGLASS || WALKER ENGINEERING || WE ARE BLOOD HILL & WILKINSON GENERAL CONTRACTORS

Find out how you can help

THELONGCENTER.ORG/SUPPORT

Photo by Daniel Nguyen.

48

54

ON THE COVER

FEATURE

BRINGING HOPE TO AUSTIN

FEEDING OUR COMMUNITIES

BY JENNY HOFF

BY REGINE MALIBIRAN

Moto jacket available at Estilo, 2727 Exposition Blvd., estiloboutique.com; jewelry

by Bulletgirl, bulletgirl.com; wedding dress customized by Nathan “Sloke” Nordstrom; artist drawing glove, model’s own.

CONTENTS | APRIL

44

46

62

64

18

COUNT US IN Women in Numbers

20

FROM THE DESK OF Paulina Artieda

22

GIVE BACK Measure

24

START THE CONVO Genuine Allyship

40

ADVENTURE GIRL APD Rideout

44

IN HER NEIGHBORHOOD Cassie Shankman

46

SEE HER WORK Avery Price

62

RECIPE REVEAL Spring Recipes

64

WHAT’S COOKIN’ Taquero Mucho

66

HER ROUTINE Christina Palomino

68

WAITING ROOM PCOS

72

ON THE MONEY Surviving Financial Crisis as a Small-business Owner

74

ASK LUCY Planning Your Pup’s Bluebonnet Photo Shoot

76

I AM AUSTIN WOMAN Lorena Koppel

ATX WOMEN TO WATCH 30

KAREECE SACCO

31 KERRIE CARTER-WALKER

66

12 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

32

AYSA PROVINCE

33

SAMANTHA KOOL

34

ALEX MOSLEY

35 KELLI D. KELLEY 36

ROXANA HANNAH AND LORI MCCLEARY

37

BRANDI MCMURRY

38

BRIDGET REED

CONTRIBUTORS

This month, we asked our contributors: What is your favorite Austin nonprofit?

A PUBLICATION OF AW MEDIA INC.

VOLUME 18, ISSUE 8

DAWN WESTON

Publisher

DANIEL NGUYEN

NIKI JONES

Cover photographer, “Bringing Hope to Austin,” Page 48

Creative Director

• is an enormous motorcycle enthusiast • is a self-taught photographer

COURTNEY RUNN

• Has the best Zippo lighter trick

Interim Editor

His favorite nonprofit: Charity: Water

DARBY KENDALL

Interim Copy Editor SAM PITKIN

Marketing and Events Manager MONIKA KELLEY CHRISTINA RINKEN-FABIANICH

Account Executives

REGINE MALIBIRAN Writer, “Removing Ego from Allyship,” Page 24 and “Feeding Our Communities,” Page 54 • saw both Beyoncé and Rihanna live during her last week of finals

LESLIE WILLIAMSON

Sales and Production Coordinator

• has a tortoiseshell cat named Nikita • can’t whistle despite playing the flute for seven years Her favorite nonprofit: Six Square

CONTRIBUTORS

Editorial: Landry Allred, Mariah C. Harper, Taylor M. Hayden, Jenny Hoff, Niki Jones, Trinady Joslin, Lorena Koppel, Regine Malibiran, Hannah J. Phillips, Phaedra Rogers, Sierra Rozen, Courtney Runn Art: Mireya Almaraz, Riley Blanks, Courtney Cope, Keelyn Costello, Brandi Cowley, Niki Jones, Brandi Mosley, Daniel Nguyen, Alex Price, Avery Price, Taylor Prinsen, Carlos Reyes, Nelissa Torres, Madison Weakley, Jessica Wetterer

LANDRY ALLRED Writer, “Coloring Austin,” Page 46 • speaks French

INTERNS

Landry Allred, Caroline Covert, Haley Riley, Sierra Rozen, Joanne Xu

• went backstage for Dancing with the Stars and met some of the dancers • can play the Harry Potter theme song on the piano Her favorite nonprofit: The Archibald Project

AW MEDIA INC. MELINDA GARVEY

KIP GARVEY

Co-founder/Co-owner

CEO/Co-owner

SAMANTHA STEVENS

Co-founder

ASHLEY GOOLSBY

CFO

SIERRA ROZEN Writer, “From the Desk of Paulina Artieda,” Page 20 • did theater all four years of high school

Austin Woman is a free monthly publication of AW Media Inc., and is available at more than 1,000 locations throughout Austin and in Lakeway, Cedar Park, Round Rock and Pflugerville. All rights reserved.

To offer feedback, email feedback@awmediainc.com.

For submission information, visit atxwoman.com/jobs.

No part of the magazine may be reprinted or duplicated without permission.

Visit us online at atxwoman.com.

Email us at info@awmediainc.com.

512.328.2421 | 3921 Steck Ave., Suite A111, Austin, TX 78759

• has a deep love for the Oxford comma • can identify any Taylor Swift song in five seconds or less Her favorite nonprofit: Stop Abuse for Everyone Alliance (SAFE)

COVER NOTES Photo by Daniel Nguyen, fotohouse.co Hair and makeup by Brandi Cowley, instagram/brandihookedonhair Shot on location at Native Hostel, nativehostels.com

ATXWOMAN.COM | 13

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When the announcement came that South by Southwest was canceled, I felt the air being let out of the city like a balloon. So many of our friends, family and colleagues put their hearts and souls into the events surrounding SXSW each year. There is no denying the loss of more than $355 million has a devastating economic impact on our city.

And we now know that it was just the first of many COVID19-related cancellations, not just in Austin but around the country and even the world.

At Austin Woman, we are dedicated to doing what we can to support the community. So, we’re launching the #LiveLikeAnAustinite campaign as a way for local businesses to promote who they are and how the community can support them. We hope it serves as an ongoing resource for locals who want to support other locals. If we aren’t here to hold each other up during hard times, then who will?

There are many ways that you can give back to the community and support local businesses with your patronage even when or if you’re stuck at home. Tag Austin Woman in your post and we will do what we can to spread the word!

I’ll take this opportunity to also remind you that Austin Woman is a free, local and woman-owned publication. We ask that you please support our advertisers and thank them for helping us continue to tell the stories of our community. Without them we would not be here.

Here are some other resources to help out: • If your job or business has been affected by COVID-19, please reach out to Workforce Solutions Capital Area. They are a publicly funded board dedicated to building the region’s workforce system. Workers and businesses can learn more about available resources by visiting wfscapitalarea.com or calling 512.485.3792 • D onate, donate, donate. Many of our neighbors are hungry. The Central Texas Food Bank, Meals on Wheels and other foodbased nonprofits need donations now more than ever. Restaurants really need our help, too. They are the ones who help us celebrate anniversaries and birthdays, impress our clients or just catch up with our friends and loved ones, not to mention they employ so many folks in the community. They really are the heart of our city. You can keep supporting them by ordering carryout or delivery, purchasing gift cards or donating at givelocal.co/city/austin.

I hope this letter finds you safe and healthy! We appreciate your support now more than ever and together we will #LiveLikeAnAustinite.

Publisher

Publication of Austin Woman would not be possible without the support of our monthly advertisers and sponsors, who believe in the impact we are making in the Austin community. The following businesses have stepped up their support of our efforts beyond traditional advertising and we are proud to recognize them as our partners. The team at Austin Woman is grateful for these businesses that have shown their commitment to the advancement of women in Austin and hopes you, as readers, recognize their efforts and support these businesses and all our regular advertisers.

14 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

Join the conversation @AustinWoman

DIAMOND-LEVEL PARTNER

PLATINUM-LEVEL PARTNERS

Photo by Taylor Prinsen.

DAWN WESTON

3464 Ranch Road 620 • Bee Caves 512-999-7401

CONNECT WITH US

Size inclusivity. Women are berated with advertising and entertainment portraying unrealistic beauty standards. If women fall below or above a certain size, there aren’t many clothing options available. Three Austin women decided to change that. Tired of shopping in the junior department, Melissa and Amy Segal created Togetherseal for other petite women struggling to find clothes. After disappointing shopping experiences, fashion blogger Cathy Tilton began regularly sharing plus-sized content on social media to start conversations about making Austin a more inclusive, body-positive city.

A day in the life of an art-gallery director. As the gallery director of female-centric Women & Their Work, Rachel Stuckey works directly with female artists to curate and celebrate their work.

Austin Woman chatted with Stuckey to see what a day in the life of a gallery director looks like and get her thoughts on working in a maledominated field.

Coco Bates. After noticing a lack diversity in South by Southwest programming, Coco Bates created her own festival. Blossom & Sol offered space for black women in Austin to celebrate their natural hair and learn about wellness and beauty together. Though the festival was canceled in what would have been its third year this March, she is still advancing a natural-hair movement. Austin Woman talked to Bates about her own journey to loving her curls and her tips for appreciating your own hair.

WIN THIS! COLORING AUSTIN Native Austinite Avery Price captures iconic spots, favorite restaurants and hidden corners of her hometown in watercolor. Last year, she released coffee-table book Coloring Austin of her most popular paintings so you can enjoy the city from your own living room. This month, one lucky Austin Woman reader will win a copy of Price’s book. To enter to win, follow us on Instagram @austinwoman and stay on the lookout for the giveaway announcement. A winner will be chosen by the end of the month. Learn more about Price’s artwork on page 46.

16 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

DON’T MISS Austin Woman Woman’s Way Business Awards June 17 JW Marriott, 110 E. 2nd St. atxwoman.com/womans-way

WE’RE HIRING! Are you interested in working for Austin Woman magazine?

We’re currently hiring! Please email info@awmediainc.com to learn more about our open positions.

FOLLOW US

@austinwoman

LIKE US

austinwoman

FOLLOW US

@ austinwoman

Win This picture by Avery Price, Coco Bates picture courtesy of Coco Bates, Rachel Stuckey picture courtesy of Rachel Stuckey, Cathy Tilton picture courtesy of Cathy Tilton.

Can’t get enough of this issue?

Check us out at atxwoman.com.

ATX

WOMEN to WATCH FEBRUARY 2020

We’re Moving Women Forward

Insight. Innovation. Inclusion. Impact.

Group Workshops Trust Building Cohort Workshops

Coaching 4 Impact: Women’s Empowerment Program

Virtual Group Coaching Sessions Innovative learning sessions led by a coach facilitator

Coaching tomorrow’s leaders today coaching4good.com

This innovative leadership development group coaching program is a year-long experiential journey that will transform your organizational culture. You will create a connected community of women and pipeline of empowered leaders that foster, influence and champion an inclusive workplace culture.

|

info@coaching4good.com

|

Peer Mentor Circles Peer sessions to mastermind and work through barriers Sponsorship Ally Training to serve as internal advocates

512.850.4425

NEW CLARKSVILLE LOCATION NOW OPEN!

B UY A SYRIN G E OF FILLE R, G E T 10 UN ITS OF B OTOX FRE E !

ME N TION CODE S PRIN G 2020 FOR DIS COUN T RE S TRICTION S A PPLY

COOL SCU L P T IN G , T RUS C UL P T, BOTOX , DYS P O RT, S K I N C AR E S E RV I C E S , L A SER HA I R REMOVA L , IP L P HOTO FAC I AL S , S E C R E T R F M I C R O  N E E D L I N G , S K I N P E N M I C R O  N E E D L I N G , D E RMA P L A N I N G , VA MP IRE FACIA L S, VAM P I R E FAC E & BR E AS T L I F TS , VAG I N AL R E J UV E N AT I O N , AN D M O R E .

13 01 W 5 T H S T. # 10 0 AU S T I N , T X 78703 | REJ UVEN AT EAUS T I N . CO M | 512 923 1071

COUNT US IN

45 Percent

WOMEN IN NUMBERS

While women dominate the nonprofit sector, they make up only 45 percent of nonprofit CEOs. For nonprofits with a budget of more than $25 million, only 21 percent have female CEOs. Regardless of budget, less than 20 percent of nonprofit CEOs are people of color, a statistic that has been relatively stagnant for the past 15 years.

Women dominate the nonprofit sector, but are still fighting for leadership equity.

BY TRINADY JOSLIN ILLUSTRATIONS BY JESSICA WETTERER

40 Percent Nationally, around 11 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, but according to the most recent data, around 40 percent of Austin-area single mothers and their children live in poverty. Nonprofits like Dress for Success and Stop Abuse for Everyone combat this statistic by providing women with clothes for interviews and safe spaces. National nonprofit The Jeremiah Project supports single moms joining the workforce and receiving education. This past year, 94 percent of moms involved in the nonprofit’s Austin program took highereducation classes.

9.2 Million According to the most recent data, 9.2 million women work in the nonprofit sector and make up about 73 percent of the total nonprofit workforce.

$12.3 Million Every year, Amplify Austin Day raises millions of dollars for local nonprofits, and over the past seven years, it’s raised more than $57 million. This year, under the leadership of Executive Director Courtney Manuel, it raised $12.3 million in 24 hours.

7 Percent Following the #MeToo movement, donations to women’s organizations increased by 7 percent. The Time’s Up Legal Defense, an organization dedicated to helping women pursue legal action against sexual misconduct and harassment claims, raised $22 million within its first year. Fundraising for nonprofits Physicians Reproductive Health and National Abortion Rights Action League Pro-choice America spiked heavily, raising 61 percent and 91 percent more funds respectively. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network also experienced a 42-percent increase in donations.

18 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

OFFICIAL EVENT PRODUCTION COMPANY OF AWMEDIA INC.

SPRING CLEANING IS OUR SPECIALTY We offer standard and detailed cleaning services for your residential and commercial space.

Call for a free estimate.

33 Years Serving Austin BBB Accredited Business Locally Owned Fully Insured

Mention this ad for $25 off a detailed 4-hour cleaning

AmesCleaningAustin.com

512.331.9694 | 12308 Hwy 620, Austin

Austin Oral Surgery is our family tradition. “When I was 17, I needed my wisdom teeth removed. Dad put me in the caring hands of the doctors at Austin Oral Surgery. Last year, when Dad needed dental implants, I returned the favor.

For us, Austin Oral Surgery is a family tradition.�

The surgeons of Austin Oral Surgery are board-certified specialists offering a complete scope of oral and maxillofacial services at 12 convenient locations in Central Texas.

Before you consider oral surgery for your family, call 512-591-9557. AustinOralSurgery.com

A legacy of exceptional care Cedar Park Central Austin

Dripping Springs Georgetown

Harker Heights La Grange

Lakeway Marble Falls

N. Central Austin San Marcos

South Austin Temple

FROM THE DESK OF

HAVE A LISTENING TOUR.

BUILD RELATIONSHIPS.

“Having a listening tour of your community is a great way to understand what is being perceived of you. There's this inside group [of ] board members that feels that the organization is being perceived a certain way. But [it’s] not until you do the heavy work of going out there and listening to every constituent that represents your community…[that] you really understand, ‘Oh, this is how we're being seen.’”

“Extend yourself out there to make new connections, because that's how you're going to meet more leaders in the community. That's how you're going to really understand the capacity that you can grow and reach others.”

REVIEW YOUR POLICIES.

PAULINA ARTIEDA

The executive director of The New Philanthropists shares tips for diversifying nonprofit leadership.

BY SIERRA ROZEN ILLUSTRATION BY MADISON WEAKLEY

D

espite serving a large population of people of color, Austin’s nonprofit leadership doesn’t always reflect those communities. Enter Paulina Artieda, who’s working to champion diversity in the boardroom.

Artieda serves as the executive director of The New Philanthropists, an organization striving to improve the diversity of nonprofit boards.

According to national data, in 2017, 84 percent “of board members report as Caucasian,” and 27 percent of organizations don’t have anyone of color on their boards.

Born in Ecuador, Artieda always felt like she had to work harder to prove herself as one of the few women of color at her marketing and advertising jobs. Constantly feeling like she had to be on the top of her game quickly became isolating. Throughout her career, Artieda partnered with nonprofits, leading to her decision to offer her leadership skills in a different market.

Having now served as the executive director for more than a year, Artieda hopes to bring The New Philanthropists to other cities.

For now, she’s focused on improving the boards of Austin and helping them reflect the diverse communities they serve. Artieda shares her tips on how Austin nonprofits can better serve people of color.

20 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

“How do [your policies] really exemplify the welcome-all approach? Is it really welcoming all?

Those are some hard questions that you need to put out there and review, and you might need to hire people outside of you to make this something [where] they hold you down to the word and say, ‘Is this really what inclusion means?’”

HAVE A DIVERSITY STATEMENT. “Is [diversity] part of your core mission and values?

And if you do [have a statement], is it reflective of your board right now or your organization? If you don't, why don't you?”

BE COMMITTED TO CHANGE. “A culture change…within your organization can lead to programs becoming way more dynamic and way more serving than you could have ever imagined. Now you have [other] voices at the table, letting you know about barriers or ideas that could happen with your programs.”

WANT TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS? AUSTIN 2020

ARY 2020 E | JANU

| MARC H

MAGAZIN

WOMAN

com Volvo is

should

makes a difference , and you

MAGAZINE

r protec

2019

866 -974 red tradem

-6096

USTIN.C • VOLVOA

OM

866 -974

Iron Mark

-6096 •

VOLVOA USTIN.C

is a registe

red tradem

a registe

OM

driver assistance Volvo’s safety and stay in full control. mind by helping you everyday peace of

| 7216 N. IH-35

• 866-974-60

is a registered

trademark of

96 • VOLVO AUSTIN.COM

Volvo.

VOLVO CARS OF ©2019 Volvo Cars

IH-35 • 866-974AUSTIN | 7216 N.

of North America,

LLC. The Iron Mark

is a registered trademark

STIN.COM 6096 • VOLVOAU

of Volvo.

Ingalls Wilder

The Iron Mark

Giffords

America, LLC.

there is.” –Laura

OF AUSTIN

Cars of North

place.” –Gabby

nicest word

VOLVO CARS ©2019 Volvo

else will fall into

brighter and safer.

Make your holiday technology is designed to provide

and everything

Mark is

IH-35 •

LLC. The

ark of Volvo.

“Home is the

strength.”

–Maya Angelou

The Iron

America,

“Pursue your passion

IH-35 •

ark of Volvo.

ca, LLC.

of North

make.”

–Jane Good all

there is

N. TIN | 7216

North Ameri

TIN | 7216 N.

Volvo Cars

want to

is beau ty and ©2020

S OF AUS

of Volvo Cars

S OF AUS

©2020

difference you

sity, there

CAR VOLVO

VOLVO CAR

kind of

Pope –Rosie riod.” rhero—pe e a supe , you’r e a mom “If you’r

Goes with the m even when you can’t.

The Red Ke y by Volvo.

Before you hand over your car keys to your Key by Volvo teen, get this is a must-have key first. The safety tool that regulate audio Red lets you set volume and limits on spee customize adap designed to d, tive cruise contr keep your teen ol settings. safer behind It’s the wheel – mind. Visit us and give you today to see peace of how The Red Key works.

matters

decide what

ting wha t

Our nev er-ending class con quest to tinues to ma best fam be recogn ke the safest, ily luxury most luxu SUV, the ized. Awarded rious car Recogn

by Edm XC60 com in its ized for intuitive bines luxu unds as the 201 ry wit 9 world-ren technology, Sca ndinavian h functionality. owned safe design and ty innova tions.

have to

| NOVEMB ER

Prized fo

DECEMBER 2019 MAGAZINE |

“What you do

2020

AUSTIN WOMAN

| FEBR UARY

• No one

“In diver

OM

AUSTIN WOMAN

e visio uing thes to purs mitted d ed or kille usly injur by 2020. be serio Volvo car in a new quality week of o car one back Volv t to give ugh a new by 2025.

• We wan per year thro time produce cars we 5. ent of the electric by 202 50 perc be • Around and sell will

MAGAZINE

charged.

MAGAZINE

WOMAN

yea time of our year ahead. to It’s that s goals for tinually look ns and con onal resolutio e way, Volvo fining pers way. sam l of rede much the with the goa and sustainable re in a safe the futu ns: mobility

AUSTIN

Volvo. Re

We are rech to our facto arging everythin ries and g supply chai we do, from our reduce 2025 com our carbon footp n. Our ambition cars pared to rint by is to by 2040. 2018. And to 40% per car by be climate Because we have neutral only one planet.

Ever electrifie y new Volvo mod d. Today, el we are the we launch will maker to be offer only trad models. itional car And over plug-in hybrid options five new the next on all our fully five year s, 2025, half electric cars . It is our we will launch of the cars ambition we sell that by will be more toda y at Volv electric. Learn o Cars of Austin.

USTIN.C

WOMAN

AUSTIN

ar from new ye stin.

Happy rs of Au e Volvo Ca we mak r when In

Put your message in front of thousands of potential customers by advertising with Austin Woman, your best resource to reach decision makers in Austin.

CALL TODAY: 512.328.2421 atxwoman.com

PERMANENT MAKEUP | MICROBLADING PERMANENT MAKEUP CERTIFICATION CLASSES AVAILABLE

MOVING SALE

50% OFF EVERYTHING IN BOUTIQUE

Photography by MonikaKelley.com | 512.560.2020

6507 Jester Blvd., Suite 510-L , Austin TX 78750 | 512.502.0002

studio-bella.com

LET GIRLS BE GIRLS

Measure is partnering with local organizations to combat the adultification of black girls.

BY PHAEDRA ROGERS

If two young girls, one black and one white, are in a vulnerable situation, data shows the white girl will receive more attention and defense. According to a recent study conducted by Georgetown Law, adultification bias explains the discrepancies between how black and white girls of the same age are treated, with negative bias stacked against black girls. The study found girls of color are often viewed as more adult-like and less vulnerable, especially between the ages of 5 and 14. The study confirmed what communities of color have long experienced; now, they have the data and language to statistically prove it.

Growing up, Meme Styles experienced the effects of racial bias at a young age. As the president and founder of Measure, a data-driven advocacy organization seeking to eliminate social inequality, she’s on a mission to prevent

22 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

more children from having the same childhood memories.

“Growing up, I felt the sting of being treated differently than my white peers,” Styles says. “Because of that, it was clear that I needed to protect my children once they were born. But, regardless of my efforts at home, they still had to endure whatever society doled out once they left the house.”

Styles’ fierce mothering instincts, coupled with her bravado and intelligence, are transforming how the Austin community understands racial discrimination.

“In a nutshell, adultification bias is the perception that black girls are seen as less innocent, therefore needing less protection than their white peers,” Styles says. “It also means that black girls are more likely to be treated as a threat to authority if they defend their opinions or even their own bodies.”

Styles is working to expose and eradicate adultification bias through hard numbers, moving the needle of change by delving into factual information.

“Numbers are a common language that everyone understands. When numbers tell a story that exposes unfairness—whether in health care, schools or the justice system—then

the community can work together for change,” she says. “Otherwise, we're simply recirculating our frustration without devising a plan for actionable change.”

In Travis County, Associate Court Judge Aurora Martinez Jones sees a widely uneven number of black girls, many placed in foster care, who receive punishment in the judicial system.

“The current foster-care system was not created with children of color in mind. We need to rethink how we care for them and reimagine a system that takes their individual and cultural needs into consideration,” Jones says.

“Black girls grow up to become black women who will likely become mothers. We improve an entire family cycle if we deal with adultification bias against black girls now.”

The Innocence Initiative—a collaboration between Measure, the Girls Scouts of Central Texas, the Lone Star Justice Alliance, Hearts 2 Heal, and the Community Advocacy and Healing Project— seeks to change the status quo.

It’s an overarching initiative aimed at protecting and advancing more than 35,000 girls of color by including them in organizations like Girl Scouts, preparing them for leadership roles and training defense attorneys to ensure fair representation in schools and the justice system.

Impact Austin, a women’s collective-giving organization, awarded the collaboration a $110,00 grant this past fall, propelling the advancement of young black girls in Central Texas. The inaugural Social Innovation Grant was also the first time Impact Austin awarded a collaborative effort a grant.

With the hashtag #ourgirlsneedus, The Innocence Initiative’s rallying cry calls out the urgency of its task and the communal nature of the solution.

“It’s my hope that people will realize this is a multicultural problem,” Styles says. “And it’ll take people from every race and background to eliminate it.”

Photo courtesy of Meme Styles.

GIVE BACK

“”

Photo by Taylor M. Hayden.

Adultification bias is the perception that black girls are seen as less innocent, therefore needing less protection than their white peers.

ATXWOMAN.COM | 23

START THE CONVO

REMOVING EGO FROM ALLYSHIP

Allyship requires moving past performative action to true understanding, advocacy and empowerment of marginalized communities.

BY REGINE MALIBIRAN

Allyship is one of the latest buzzwords in conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion. The title ally can often be worn like the latest fad and not be taken seriously as an intentional, long-standing series of actions to impact progress for marginalized communities.

“I can’t even convene a conversation about allyship until I talk a little about how we arrived at it,” says Pamela Benson Owens, president and CEO of Edge of Your Seat Consulting, whose work specializes in developing emotionally intelligent leadership. “First, the trend was mentorship: constructive advice and feedback. Then it was sponsorship, which is leveraging your network and helping people become visible.

But then we realized that neither of those got us to where we need to go. So allyship became the trend. Allyship is mentorship, sponsorship and…advocating for, fighting for and giving authority to [marginalized individuals].”

Allyship is crucial in any attempt toward social good because community and collective power are the cornerstones of meaningful change. However, with change comes discomfort and vulnerability. In both personal and professional interactions, allyship manifests in ways that often come across as performative. It can be diluted to a gesture to check off a box, or to follow the trend. But what does a social-media post documenting an afternoon’s volunteer work at a women’s shelter truly mean if your female friends don’t feel safe sharing their experiences with sexual assault and harassment? Does a Black History Month happy hour in the office matter if a company’s culture causes high turnover for black employees?

“To be an ally, you have to think, ‘I want to help—not in a savior mentality but in a bridge-building mentality. I want to understand. So, when I hear and feel and see [injustice], I can dismantle it,’” Owens says. “The onus should not always be on the person of color. It should be a collective shared responsibility.”

The first step toward being a genuine ally is active and humble listening.

Next is self-reflection. What are the primary motives for earning the title “ally?” Do they revolve around a business objective or a status symbol instead of a pursuit of justice and equity? Third is putting the lessons learned through listening and self-reflection into action. How can privilege be used to advocate for marginalized communities? Lastly, genuine allyship requires a continuous repetition of this process. The work is never truly done.

Challenges are present every step of the way, even when someone is genuine in their allyship. Experiencing everything from flippant, ego-driven attempts to be an “ally,” to blatant and unapologetic prejudice, marginalized communities can find it difficult to accept a true ally because of past trauma.

Because of this, sometimes even the sincerest attempts at allyship might not initially be received well. This is why avoiding centering oneself in allyship, and instead focusing on building relationships and trust, is crucial.

“People have underestimated the value of trust. So, when it's time to hit the bottom line, the first work that goes out the window is the trust work, the culture-building work, the community work—because that's a slow game,” Owens says. “We stop short of having the real conversations, the ones that require us to remove our egos.”

Ultimately, allyship doesn’t stop at creating new seats at the table, because that alone doesn’t impact structural change. Allyship expands to ensuring those in the new seats are heard and taken seriously. With a focus on trust and relationship building, individuals and organizations can begin to move the needle toward social good that is truly diverse, inclusive and equitable.

HOW TO START THE CONVO Educate yourself. Resources on social good, justice and how to leverage privilege are now more accessible than ever because of the internet and social media. Don’t attempt to have a conversation with someone regarding their personal experiences or how to be an ally before doing some research.

Advocate. Being an ally means doing the right thing even when it’s uncomfortable, especially when the people you’re trying to help aren’t in a position to advocate or fight for themselves.

Be willing to learn and adjust. Allyship is not a single action. It’s a constantly evolving practice that requires difficult conversations and continuous support.

24 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

Surgical | Medical | Cosmetic

HEALTHY SKIN IS ALWAYS IN Board-Certified Dermatologists Serving the Austin Area Specializing in: SkinPen • Kybella® • Laser Treatments • Hair Restoration • Botox® • Photofacials Cosmetic Filler • Chemical Peels • Laser Hair Removal • Oculoplastics

Featured Product Lines: ISDIN • EltaMD® • Revision® • SkinBetter • SkinCeuticals® • Neocutis

Schedule your appointment today • tru-skin.com •

• 888.451.0139

WOM A N’ S WAY BUS I NESS AWAR DS The Woman’s Way Business Awards are Austin’s only business awards for woman-owned and woman-led businesses. Awards are presented in 10 categories. Award recipients span numerous industries and are chosen by a selection committee of successful, 2020

local female business owners and community leaders.

These awards have been critical to our operation as a small business for the past four years and would not be possible without the support of our sponsors and attendees. Thank you all for standing by us and supporting our mission of celebrating and honoring the women behind Austin’s businesses.

THA NK YOU TO O U R S P O N S O R S AUTO:

PLATINUM

GOLD:

SPECIAL THANKS: GLOBAL PRINTING SOLUTIONS JW MARRIOTT MIRMIR

SUPPORTER: CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY BENOLD’S JEWELERS

Date Change Thanks to the team at the JW Marriott Austin, we have found a new date for our Woman’s Way Business Awards! Your health and safety is of utmost importance to us and that is why we have moved our event to...

June 17, 2020

AT THE JW MARRI OTT AUSTI N T I CK E T S ON SA LE A P RIL 1 st

TEXT

AWVIP

TO 33777

to join the Austin Woman VIP text and email list and gain access to exclusive offers, events and discounted tickets!

AT XEV E N T.CO M

mar 16 - apr 11

THE BOUTIQUE FINANCIAL GROUP

Mix, Match, ; Save

RETIREMENT PLANNING

20% off 6 OR MORE BOTTLES *

|

COLLEGE FUNDING

AMTLIFETIMEFINANCIAL.COM

1601 W. 38th Street, Suite 201, Austin, Texas 78731 | 512.220.8299

Mexican Cuisine. Exquisite Atmosphere. Unparalleled Art.

LET US HELP WITH

Easter Pairing Suggestions

In Queso Emergency...We’ve Got You Covered!

*Spring wine sale runs 3/16/20-4/11/20. Valid on regular priced 750ml bottles of wine.

Some exclusions apply. Please drink responsibly.

COCINA DE ORIGEN Y BELL AS ARTES

2330 W. North Loop | Austin, Texas | 512.459.4121 | www.FondaSanMiguel.com

ATX

WOMEN to WATCH Our pages are full of stories of Austin’s most engaging, empowering and successful women, and this section is specially designed to provide you access to even more incredible role models and success stories.

Be part of this amazing group and share your story with thousands of women.

Contact us at sales@awmediainc.com or call 512.328.2421 for more information.

PHOTOS BY ROMINA OLSON

SPECIAL PROMOTION | ATXWOMAN.COM |

29

ATX

WOMAN to WATCH

KAREECE SACCO

E X ECU T I V E D IR ECTO R O F W EL L AWA R E

K

areece Sacco is the executive director of the Austin-based, international nonprofit Well Aware. Her tenure as an intern led her to a full-time position as director of operations and, after just two years, earned the most executive leadership position within the organization. As one of the youngest executives in the water-charity sector, Sacco helped lead Well Aware to break $1 million in revenue and continues to ambitiously drive the organization's growth and impact. As a woman-founded and woman-led organization, Well Aware leads its industry with a groundbreaking, innovative model for clean-water projects in East Africa. With project and impact numbers growing every year since Well Aware’s inception in 2010, it has maintained a 100-percent success rate, impacted more than a quarter of a million lives through clean water and remains focused on empowering communities for long-term success. wellawareworld.org

30 |  SPECIAL PROMOTION

|

ATXWOMAN.COM

ATX

WOMAN to WATCH

K E RR I E CA R T E R -WA LK E R

F O U N D E R O F I S Q U A R E D C O A C H I N G A N D R E A L- E S T A T E A G E N T

K

errie Carter-Walker is a natural-born leader, changing the world one young lady at a time. She was raised in the small town of Cuero, Texas, where her childhood experiences helped prove that the obstacles we encounter are never indicators of our future. As a full-time assistant principal with a doctorate in education, and as an actively licensed real-estate agent, Carter-Walker knows firsthand the importance of helping young women find their identity, voice and passion in the world. In a defining moment that inspired Carter-Walker to create iSquared Coaching, she received a phone call late one night from a mother who said her daughter had attempted to commit suicide, and she had found her child just in time. In that instant, Carter-Walker knew she needed to help young women dealing with issues like low self-esteem and negative self-perception. Her newly launched program iSquared Coaching guides young women in finding purpose in life through intentional intervention. isquaredcoaching.org

ATXWOMAN.COM |

SPECIAL PROMOTION |

31

ATX

WOMAN to WATCH

AY S A P R O V I N C E

F O U N D E R O F B E A U T I F U L LY L O V E D

A

fter volunteering for Dell Children’s Blood & Cancer Center for years, Aysa Province (center, back row, in black) saw a need to provide patients and their families with powerful reminders of inner strength and beauty. Province has worked the past six years to build the charitable fund Beautifully Loved based on the idea that there is significant importance in taking care of the hearts and minds of those on medical journeys. Illness can be depleting in many areas of life, both for patients and their families. Beautifully Loved provides love and care for families dealing with childhood chronic illness through experiences of wellness, beauty and fashion. The programs are created to promote selfcare, enhance self-esteem and empower the spirit. Beautifully Loved has grown quickly in a short amount of time and has served hundreds of families through its nine programs. Province knows that when someone feels supported and reminded of her self-worth, incredible power follows. beautifullyloved.org

32 | SPECIAL PROMOTION

|

ATXWOMAN.COM

ATX

WOMAN to WATCH

SAMAN THA KOO L

P R I N C I PA L AT S AVA FA C E A N D B O D Y

S

amantha Kool is the owner of Sava Face and Body, proudly located within Cancer Rehab and Integrative Medicine. As a licensed esthetician with advanced education and certification in oncology esthetics through Oncology Training International, Kool specializes in providing a full range of skin-care services and products to those affected by cancer. Advanced education in oncology esthetics allows her to understand a person's cancer journey and to make the appropriate modifications in product and protocol to keep her clients safe and comfortable. In addition, “providing customized home-care kits provides clients with peace of mind that they can take care of their skin between visits,” Kool says. Along with Kool’s expertise, Sava Face and Body also uses and retails a skin-care line currently used in oncology centers around the country. Kool also offers mobile services on request for times when coming into the studio is difficult. savafaceandbody.com

ATXWOMAN.COM | SPECIAL PROMOTION | | 33 ATXWOMAN.COM 33

ATX

WOMAN to WATCH

ALEX MOSLEY

O W N E R O F T H E S P E C I F I C C H I R O P R AC T I C C E N T E R S O F AU S T I N

A

lex Mosley, owner of The Specific Chiropractic Centers of Austin, is known as The Miracle Doc to most of her patients. Her group’s mission is to provide access for all individuals around the globe to be checked for underlying nervous-system dysfunction. Mosley pursues advanced training in upper-cervical chiropractic and nontraditionally approaches her health-care practice.

Her practice focuses on the neck’s top two bones and their unique relationship with the central nervous system, paired with a realistic attitude toward a healthy lifestyle. This revolutionary care garners extraordinary results. Mosley’s community, consisting of Austinites and international patients cared for through chiropractic outreach trips to underserved countries, recognizes her passion for holistic health care and her love for helping people live beyond what they thought possible. In her own words, “I don’t just believe in miracles, I expect them!” austin.thespecific.com

34 | SPECIAL PROMOTION

|

ATXWOMAN.COM

ATX

WOMAN to WATCH

KELLI D. KELLEY

F O U N D E R A N D C E O O F H A N D TO H O L D

Photo courtesy of Kelli D. Kelley.

K

elli D. Kelley is the founder and CEO of Hand to Hold, a national nonprofit that supports families before, during and after a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay or infant loss.

After the premature birth of her two children, Kelley lacked the support she craved: someone to hold her hand through the difficult NICU journey and the stress of bringing home a medically fragile child. This experience drives Kelley and her staff to offer support to families through Hand to Hold’s in-hospital programs, counseling services, support groups, podcasts and one-on-one peer mentoring. Kelley also serves as vice president on the board of directors for the National Coalition for Infant Health and is a founding member of the NICU Parent Network. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, listening to podcasts and volunteering with her daughter through the National Charity League. handtohold.org

ATXWOMAN.COM | SPECIAL PROMOTION | | 35 ATXWOMAN.COM 35

ATX

WOMEN to WATCH

ROX ANA HANNAH AND LORI MCCLEARY CO -FOUNDERS OF RITUAL AUSTIN

R

oxana Hannah and Lori McCleary are the co-founders of Ritual Austin, a boutique catering and events company that specializes in curating culinary experiences. They incorporate their passion for food and entertaining, family traditions, world travels, design and Austin’s unique character into their work. From the tailgate to the dining room to the boardroom, McCleary and Hannah are on a mission to create deeper connections and community through food. Through artistic arrangements, thoughtful pairings and vibrant all-natural ingredients, guests find themselves slowing down and sharing moments around a conversational centerpiece. Ritual offers a variety of menus for grazing boards and grazing tables, including classic cheese and charcuterie, brunch, vegan options, cocktail boards and creative dishes for every course. By providing regional cheeses, produce, nuts, honey, dips and jams, as well as a plethora of farmers market goods, they reinforce their mission of bridging the community and creating everlasting rituals. ritualaustin.com

36 |  SPECIAL PROMOTION

|

ATXWOMAN.COM

ATX

WOMAN to WATCH

BRANDI MCMURRY

OW N E R O F AU ST I N S K I N A N D W E L L N ES S

A

ustin Skin and Wellness is committed to providing medically sound, evidence-based skin-care and wellness treatments to help Austin women look and feel their best. Owner Brandi McMurry (pictured center) and her staff realize that no two people are alike, and they take great pride in creating highly personalized treatment plans for each client. McMurry has worked for 28 years as a skin-care specialist, which has led her to build a caring and intuitive environment at Austin Skin and Wellness. She and her expert team—physician assistant Kirsten Baker, registered nurse Jenny Smith and aesthetician Jen Miller (not pictured)—strive to offer the best care in the city.

Austin Skin and Wellness services range from the tried-and-true like waxing and injectables to the latest treatments, including Emsculpt and a non-surgical face-lift with no downtime. At Austin Skin and Wellness, your unique beauty is always in the hands of trusted professionals. austinskinandwellness.com

ATXWOMAN.COM | SPECIAL PROMOTION | | 37 ATXWOMAN.COM 37

ATX

WOMAN to WATCH

BRIDGET REED

F O U N D E R O F L I ST I N G V I L L AG E

B

y the time Bridget Reed co-founded her second business, she had three girls, two dogs and a husband supportive of her ambitions. She pivoted from an already successful startup she had built with her husband to found Listing Village. Now Reed spends her time representing Listing Village to local real-estate brokers and agents. She helps her clients focus on sharing their listings and open houses via social media to increase sales and attract quality leads. Listing Village was built with local agents and brokers as a way to take back online real estate, while maintaining an affordability for everyone. Reed also serves as vice chair for Young Nonprofit Professionals Network’s Do Gooder Games Committee and uses Facebook to educate women entrepreneurs on branding, resume building, social selling, Facebook-ad awareness and more. For tips on brand boosting or increasing quality leads, swing by her Capital Factory office or follow her online @ListingVillage. listingvillage.com

38 |  SPECIAL PROMOTION

|

ATXWOMAN.COM

We know that times are tough and everyone is unsure of how to proceed. As a small, local business ourselves, we understand how difficult it can be to make sure your business and employees are taken care of during this unprecedented time in our world.

For the last 17 years, Austin Woman has been the heartbeat of women’s empowerment and advancement in Austin. Today, we need your help to continue the inspirational, informative and transformative stories we have been producing for nearly two decades. We are a small team who works tirelessly every day to bring you quality content and provide community and connection among women in Austin.

We will continue to give back to the community through our content and support of local photographers, writers and small-business owners. We encourage you to #LiveLikeAnAustinite and spend your dollars locally whenever possible.

If you love the inspiration we provide and believe in what we stand for, please consider a donation of any amount.

Donate $10 or more, and we’ll mail you a copy of the current issue. To donate, visit iamaustinwoman.com.

iamaustinwoman.com

ADVENTURE GIRL

Riding shotgun with an Austin Police Department officer is a thrilling way to spend a night.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY NIKI JONES

The idea of sitting in the passenger seat as you ride along with a police officer for a shift is exciting enough. When that officer is a three-time American Ninja Warrior competitor, Army veteran and all-around badass, it’s exponentially more of an adventure, and I couldn’t wait to experience it for myself.

Ride-alongs (also referred to as “ride-outs”), in which citizens ride with officers while they are on patrol, are common in many police departments throughout the country. For my ride, I was paired up with Officer Katrina "Kat" Ratcliff, who has been with the Austin Police Department for three and a half years. With her infectious laugh and charismatic smile, Officer Ratcliff exuded calm and a confident demeanor from the moment we met at the East Austin substation to begin our ride.

After I filled out paperwork and an officer ran a background check on me, Officer Ratcliffe loaded gear into the SUV, completing

the author, mid-shift

40 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

“”

We need to be great listeners, trained observers, skilled thinkers and problem solvers for victims, witnesses and suspects.

Officer Katrina Ratcliff

Officer Ratcliff photo by Alex Price.

RIDE OUT!

the first task of the evening. Then came a thorough safety check, which included testing lights, sirens, the public-address system, her Taser and the shotgun and rifle that were secured between the two front seats.

Before we rolled off to start the 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. shift, Officer Ratcliff consulted her CAD, or computer-aided dispatch system, to see what calls were outstanding from the previous shift. When 911 calls come in, they’re prioritized by numbers 0 to 3 and listed accordingly on the screen. This day, there was no shortage of calls waiting for attention, and we set off to respond to them immediately.

The shift’s start was slow because the infamous Austin rush hour was beginning, so as our vehicle crawled along, Officer Ratcliff brought me up to speed on her history with APD, how the night would go and what and where our sector was. She was assigned to the Henry sector (one of nine ranging alphabetically from Adam to Ida), which spans Lady Bird Lake’s southern edge to Ben White Boulevard and South Congress Avenue to the Del Valle neighborhood.

The first three calls included a suspicious person, a victim’s notification of release and a traffic stop for expired temporary tags (Officer Ratcliff let that driver go with a warning). It wasn’t until the sun had set fully and the dark felt ominously dangerous that we received our first unnerving call. A violent offender had escaped a secured facility and was on the run. On the radio, the officer responding to the call reported “in custody,” and the dispatcher questioned “without incident?” only to be met with silence. “Hold the air,” the dispatcher instructed everyone, meaning no one was to say a word until the officer responded. Immediately, Officer Ratcliff turned on her car’s flashing lights and sirens, and we “ran code” as fast as we could to the other officer’s location, which was likely what every other available unit in Henry sector was also doing. (Running code refers to responding to a call with sirens and lights and, often, high speeds.

Priority 0 calls, also known as “hot shots,” are incidents that are in progress and need immediate attention and warrant running code.

With Priority 1 calls, running code is at the officer’s discretion.) A few tense minutes later, as we continued to speed toward the incident’s location, the officer finally responded on the radio that all was fine.

Relieved, we headed to the next call.

The night went on with a roller coaster of danger and excitement: Shots fired! (That turned out to be just fireworks.) A man unconscious on the sidewalk with his head dangerously close to the street! (That turned out to be a transient man looking for a ride to the hospital.) A few calls involved visits to people’s homes, accompanied by fire and emergency medical services teams.

checking out the tunnel beneath Riverside Drive and Willow Creek

One thing I was struck by was how calm and comforting the presence of this shift’s officers was. Every single incident I witnessed was deescalated and solved in the best and most respectful way possible by Officer Ratcliff and her fellow officers. They even calmed down a man who had taken too much of the synthetic street drug K2 since he had been released from prison a few days prior. By the time the APD and EMS left, the subject was behaving almost rationally.

“Honesty, compassion, empathy, patience and the ability to communicate are some of the most important [character traits in a police officer],” Officer Ratcliff says. “We regularly encounter dynamic and evolving calls that require us to consider multiple perspectives in a short amount of time. … We need to be great listeners, trained observers, skilled thinkers and problem solvers for victims, witnesses and suspects. This is done all while keeping everyone safe.”

Ride-alongs with the Austin Police Department are available to the general public.

“The benefits to riding out with an APD officer are that it allows community members to see how officers are addressing problems that concern them personally. It provides perspective to the rider about the many different hats that officers must wear in the wide variety of day-today calls,” Officer Ratcliff says. “We encourage anyone that is interested to ride out or sign up for the Citizen Police Academy so they can learn about all the different aspects of the Austin Police Department.”

For more information about the Austin Police Department’s ride-along program, visit austintexas.gov/service/ride-along-program.

Officer Ratcliff makes notes

ATXWOMAN.COM | 41

Special Advertising Section

#LiveLikeAnAustinite

Check out more ways you can support local and #LiveLikeAnAustinite on atxwoman.com

Check out our list of ways you can support small businesses and #LiveLikeAnAustinite

SUSTAIN

SECOND SUMMER Take advantage of the pause in your life and work with an experienced, licensed landscape architect. Create a unique master plan to guide your yardwork throughout different seasons. Second Summer provides customized residential landscape designs that lead to healthy, sustainable yards. Schedule a call online and mention Austin Woman for 15 percent off a landscape master plan for your yard.

“Local businesses are the best for creative solutions since they aren’t bogged down by corporate red tape.”

—Sandy Stewart, Think Big Program

enjoysecondsummer.com

SOOTHE

DELIAROMA

CUSTOMIZE

CRESCENT HOUSE FURNITURE Crescent House Furniture offers furniture made to last right here in Central Texas. Owners Melissa and Stacy Grant will work with you to customize a piece specifically for you and your home. They craft pieces by hand with reclaimed and recycled materials that are responsibly sourced. Crescent House is their home and they’d be honored to help make your home beautiful. Custom design work is free. Contact them online today to get started. crescenthouseinc.com 42 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

DeliAroma offers locally made aromatherapy products that are safe, simple and easy to use.

Its Sleep Well essentialoil blend uses two types of record-breaking lavender from Australia and four different frankincense resins. DeliAroma products are safe for the whole family and can ease asthma and respiratory discomforts, improve sleep quality and soothe stress. deliaroma8.com

Special Advertising Section

GO LEARN

THINK BIG PROGRAM Think Big Program offers go-at-your-own-pace online training courses to elevate your business skills and management acumen. The program includes courses on targeted leadership, strategy, organizational growth and sales know-how. All courses and subscriptions are 50 percent off to support our local Austin businesses. Subscriptions are month-to-month, so no long-term commitment is required.

Subscription discounts apply for first three months and you can cancel at any time. Learn from anywhere and rack up new skills. Check online for free resources, too! thinkbigprogram.com

PLAN

HANLON LAW PLLC Now is the time to plan your estate, update your will or get legal advice for your business. Hanlon Law offers consultations via video chat or by phone, enabling you to self-execute documents at home and ensure they’re still legally binding.

Schedule a call now for 20 percent off services. hanlonlawpllc.com

“When you support local you are supporting this amazing city that was built by the local gals.”

—Melissa Dyer Grant, Crescent House Furniture

GO

SLEEP

KELLY WYNNE

CHEEKYWELL

At Kelly Wynne, we celebrate all the wynnes, both big and small. During this stressful season, we're encouraging the community to spread joy in the little moments on social media through the hashtag #ThatsAWynne. More family time? #ThatsAWynne.

FaceTiming with friends? #ThatsAWynne. Glass of vino at the end of a long day? #ThatsAWynne.

Extra snuggle time with the kids? #ThatsAWynne.

Come celebrate the little things with us and remember, we will vacation again!

Craving better sleep? Try Better Sleep Bar, Cheekywell’s organic, singleorigin dark chocolate bar infused with full spectrum CBD, maca and passion flower. Calm your mind and body so you fall asleep faster, sleep more deeply and wake feeling refreshed.

Empower your balance with exceptional artisanal CBD products that are produced in small batches in Austin.

kellywynne.com

cheekywell.com

ATXWOMAN.COM | 43

IN HER NEIGHBORHOOD

CASSIE SHANKMAN

Austin's favorite DJ shares her top Crestview spots.

BY COURTNEY RUNN

THE COMMUNE 101 N. Loop Blvd. E “I just recently starting coworking out of [The Commune] and it’s really helped change my workflow a lot. It’s been a lifesaver to me honestly…It’s female-owned and it also is focused [on] artists.”

It’s not a party until DJ Cassandra shows up. Cassie

DART BOWL

Shankman, known as DJ Cassandra when she’s spinning, studied music composition at the University of Texas, and after a decade of different music-related roles, quit her job last year to be a fulltime DJ. “There’s so much potential for what a DJ and a musician can do, and I think it’s really fun that I’ve been able to explore that and then share it with other musicians,” she says. “There are DJs for yoga, there are DJs for flotation tanks…There’s so much potential for more than just a night club.”

Despite throwing dance parties for a living, Shankman doesn’t hide the stressful parts of the gig. Hauling heavy gear, combined with long hours on her feet, takes a toll on her body; exerting so much social energy can take a toll on her emotions and mental health. She also navigates a maledominated field with few female peers and mentors.

“Having been in music for forever, I’ve always been surrounded by mostly men. My first day at UT, it was all men. There was one other woman and she was a master’s student and I was a first-year undergrad, so I was very intimidated,” Shankman says. “But seeing her helped me a lot. I never thought until I got older how much seeing another female in a male-dominated industry helped.”

Though she is sometimes paid less than male DJs for the same gigs, hears comments like, ‘Oh you don’t look like a DJ,’ and gets mistaken for the DJ’s girlfriend when she’s loading up her gear, Shankman hasn’t let the obstacles of a maledominated field stop her from pursuing a job she loves. She’s a regular on the event circuit and you can often find her at women’s empowerment events, blasting Lizzo and Kacey Musgraves.

“I don’t think of myself as a female DJ,” Shankman says.

“I think of myself as a DJ who specializes in heavily femalecentric events.”

Shankman shares some of her favorite neighborhood spots to visit when she’s off the job.

5700 Grover Ave.

44 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

“I have crazy anxiety and I know [that sounds] weird as a DJ. You’re around a lot of social stuff, so I exert a lot of energy for that, then I get really exhausted. So [it’s nice] to be able to be in a space where there are no expectations. I think it’s very comfortable and very reflective of Austin.

ROCK N ROLL RENTALS 8335 Burnet Rd. “I spend a lot of time at Rock n Roll Rentals because I’m always renting out gear. I actually love hanging out there because the people who work there are really fun. I feel very accepted there, too. We can talk about a bunch of different gear, we can talk about different things that have come in, we can talk about how different gear works for different gigs.

I’ve been going there for so long now and we have a very good relationship. It feels like a family, which is cool.”

NERVOUS CHARLIE’S 5501 N. Lamar Blvd.

“I go there every week. It’s my favorite place. They’re so nice there; the owner is the coolest.”

LALA’S LITTLE NUGGET 2207 Justin Ln. “Lala’s is straight-up awesome. It’s an incredible neighborhood bar [that] instantly puts a smile on your face. I can walk there and hang out with my dog on the patio. I’m always meeting someone new and interesting. Like, what other cities do you know that have a year-round Christmas bar? It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it always makes me feel welcomed when I’m feeling overwhelmed and too serious.”

ATXWOMAN.COM |  45

Photo by Keelyn Costello. .

SEE HER WORK

COLORING AUSTIN

Austinite Avery Price captures the beauty of local spots in her watercolor paintings.

BY LANDRY ALLRED

46 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

“I was able to shift my perspective from, ‘I need to paint stuff to sell,’ to, ‘I’m going to paint awesome places, so I don’t have to keep thinking up new things,’” Price says. “I saw a dramatic change in my enjoyment toward my paintings and how much fun I’m having.”

Through her work, she has become more involved in the community and can support small businesses. But Price says the element she cherishes most is meeting new people and hearing their stories.

“I did a hotel, and somebody bought it [saying,] ‘That’s where we’re staying on our wedding night,’” Price says. “People [are] adding their own stories to these places, and I love hearing that.”

Price never fully felt confident in her

painting, though, until she painted the restaurant June’s All Day last summer as a commission piece. It became a career milestone.

“With artists, we feel imposter syndrome.

I never want to introduce myself as a watercolor artist,” Price says. “But [after] that painting, I became more confident in what I do and how I am as an artist.”

In the future, Price hopes to expand her art to other cities, possibly creating a Coloring San Antonio or Coloring Dallas.

With each piece, she’s able to find common ground between what brings her joy to paint and what customers will buy.

“Everybody loves to love Austin,” Price says. “It’s fun to get excited with people about certain places.”

Photos by Avery Price.

F

rom beloved coffee shops to local landmarks to lesser-known areas of Austin, Avery Price has considered painting scenes of nearly every corner of the city.

Price, an Austin native, has dreamed of being an artist since she was 3 years old. With an artsy mother who handcrafted Bible covers and painted birdhouses, she was consistently exposed to the art world.

“Growing up, I focused on the beauty of everything, always blown away by art,” Price remembers. “I just wanted to be in this world of creating and depict that beauty in my own work.”

After attending Texas Tech University to concentrate on oil painting, she married her high-school sweetheart and had her first baby. When the couple returned to Austin, she enrolled in the college of liberal arts at the University of Texas, hoping to transfer into the art school. But by the time she could transfer, she would have already been a senior, so she dropped out to pursue art on her own.

Now, Price paints freely. Each week, she peruses her list of Austin spots, choosing three to visit with a friend or her children. She looks for artistic potential, identifying “composition… corners, depth, placement of food or the mess of colors,” as well as good customer service. After caring for her kids in the mornings, Price paints in her home studio, producing multiple pieces each day based on the pictures she takes in person.

Last year, she finished more than 150 paintings.

Coloring Austin, formerly known as Flea Market Funky, became her business’ official name in 2019, after she pivoted from painting a variety of subjects to focus on local spots. When someone wanted to buy her Hank’s Austin painting, she realized there was a market for it.

“”

Photo by Courtney Cope.

I just wanted to be in this world of creating and depict that beauty in my own work.

ATXWOMAN.COM | 47

BRINGING

HOPE TO AUSTIN Throughout her career, Andi Scull has taken risks and pivoted industries in pursuit of a message of unity and change.

BY JENNY HOFF PHOTOS BY DANIEL NGUYEN HAIR AND MAKEUP BY BRANDI COWLEY SHOT ON LOCATION AT NATIVE HOSTEL

H

ope is the defining word of Andi Scull’s career. But, like any good artist, she gave it her own flair, transforming the simple four-letter word into a life-giving acronym. Before hope became the central slogan of former President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, Scull made it a movement—encouraging people across the globe to not just want something to happen, but to make it happen by Helping Out People Everywhere.

A light-bulb moment in 2006 transformed Scull’s career, ultimately leading her to establish one of Austin’s most beloved tourist spots: HOPE Outdoor Gallery. After its 2019 closure, Skull is relaunching the street-art destination this year. The new graffiti park realizes Scull’s dream of creating an art space the public can enjoy while also prominently displaying Austin’s art scene to visitors.

The new gallery, a nine-year labor of love slated to open near the airport by the end of 2020, will consist of a structure spelling out the word hope, making Scull’s message visible from the sky, sending a resounding message to everyone flying into Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA).

“Every person who is involved believes this is a historic art park that we’re creating,” Scull says. “It will be a spot where our families can always go in the future. I think that a lot of cities would benefit from showcasing their cultural fabric. This is why people travel.”

Scull’s life story is not unlike the street art she has helped champion. Her life experiences and career opportunities may seem abstract but, upon closer observation, the individual moments intertwine. She hasn’t depended on good fortune to make her visions a reality; rather, she has carefully planned and pursued her creative instincts courageously.

“I always say that I’m half Asian, half artist,” she says, with a laugh. “I have to have spreadsheets open while I’m designing something in Photoshop. It’s just the way I grew up.”

48 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

ATXWOMAN.COM |  49

50 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

Scull credits her upbringing for her unique ability to forge connections and partnerships with people from every walk of life—as well as the courage to make big ideas come to fruition. Scull grew up in Oklahoma, but regularly visited Singapore, her Chinese mother’s home. Straddling both cultures opened Scull’s eyes to the bold colors, tastes and designs of the world, as well as different cultural expectations for children.

“Being raised as the eldest Chinese child by a single working mom in Oklahoma definitely came with its own set of pressures,” Scull says. “I was expected to be good in school; top grades were not rewarded, they were expected.”

Scull learned at a young age that ambition isn’t enough.

Hard work, long hours and the willingness to fail, while simultaneously fighting against failure, are crucial to success.

“When Andi gets an idea, she is brave enough to get it started, and what tends to happen is others find out about it and it gets stronger. But it starts with a spark, and Andi has always been that spark,” says her brother and business partner Chris Scull.

“In high school, she was tired of seeing trash bundled with recyclable goods, so she started a recycling program. It’s still going on to this day.”

That kind of determination led Andi Scull to go against her mother’s wishes and pursue a career in art, forgoing an offer from the U.S. Military Academy and an athletic scholarship.

She moved to Austin to enroll in an advertising and art director degree program at the University of Texas. It proved to be a smart move. Within a month of graduation, she was helping create the iconic “Don’t mess with Texas” campaign with EnviroMedia, quickly establishing a name for herself in the world of design and marketing.

While visiting family to celebrate New Year’s in 1999 in Nairobi, Kenya, she had a revelation that it was time to take a new direction.

“I was 24 and in the Chinese zodiac every 12th year is a golden year,” Andi Scull says. “I went back and quit my job. I decided to wait tables, do flower arrangements and start my own freelance business, Scullpower Creative.”

Leaving her job at an influential media company without a set plan in place could be seen as backwards career move, but Andi Scull saw it as an incredible opportunity to create impact and do something more purposeful than simply earn a paycheck.

“Andi is resilient and consistent,” says musician and longtime friend Chrysta Bell. “She has the quality of water that way; she is in tune with the flow of things and does not and will not force something that is clearly not working. Her ability to find solutions under pressure is uncanny.”

“”

It takes a lot of courage to try something when you don’t have a family grant or safety net.

Andi Scull’s hunch to leave a booming industry and strike out on her own proved wise and she pivoted again, joining the film industry to work on movies like Idiocracy and The Ringer.

Hobnobbing with the who’s who of Austin sparked another idea that would cement her place in the creative world.

“I’m walking into this mansion to another one of these fancy parties and I saw that the mansion was for sale,” Andi Scull recalls. “I go in and it was my buddy’s house. I looked at him and I asked, ‘Would you let me throw an art show here?’ We got to showcase art and they got to showcase their property; it was a win-win.”

Andi Scull capitalized on her idea, launching Burn the Box Movement. Her latest endeavor became a bastion of the more sophisticated Austin party scene in the mid-2000s, bringing the city’s various creatives together in one place. “The way she did it was absolute genius,” Bell says. “She would find high-end and architecturally or culturally compelling real estate that was available to rent or buy but was currently empty and, in the space, she would organize the showcasing of various artists during the event. Andi brought in painters, sculptors, mixed-media artists, and invited DJs and musicians to take part in the festivities.

Then she would find sponsors for drinks, and often chefs and restaurants who would take part, effectively transforming the place into a gallery, a music venue, pop-up restaurant and community-integration endeavor, and it was fabulously successful and highly effective for all involved.”

ATXWOMAN.COM | 51

Andi Scull eventually brought her events to Los Angeles, where her brother was also working in film production. Andi Scull and Bell’s apartment became a crash pad for artists, and the two decided to rent out a room for only $300 to a deserving creative who needed a place to stay.

Their first tenant was former Marine Corps Capt. Brian Steidle, author of the book The Devil Came on Horseback, which recounts the genocide in Sudan and led to an award-winning documentary about the crisis. When Andi Scull attended his film screening, she once again had the gut feeling she needed to make a move.

With Steidle by her side, she took a fateful trip down trip down Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, California to meet with Kobe Bryant’s ad agency.

“On the drive I kept seeing the word ‘hope’ and I turned to Brian and said, ‘It stands for helping out people everywhere,’” she says.

Through Bryant’s team, she met internationally acclaimed artist Shepard Fairey, which sparked a long business partnership. Together, they worked on a campaign that resulted in the message of hope on t-shirts in every Urban Outfitters in the country and on the backs of celebrities and athletes.

That’s when Andi Scull got a call from a friend working on the presidential campaign of then Sen. Barack Obama. The campaign noticed how she helped make one of the buzzwords of his campaign a national movement. Fairey went on to create the iconic poster of Obama’s face underscored by the word hope, which became the symbol of his presidential run.

Andi Scull eventually made her way back to Austin as CEO and founder of HOPE Events, a nonprofit with the mission of mobilizing artists to advocate for social movements. Its many branches include Hops for HOPE Annual Art Show and HOPE Outdoor Gallery.

Andi Scull’s vision that had once led to a union of Austin’s artists and film celebrities took on a much larger landscape after she visited Castle Hill in 2010, a dilapidated lot perched above the city known for its graffiti art in Central Austin perched above the city. Scull saw beauty and potential where others would only see blight. She created an official space for street artists to showcase their work, network with other artists, teach classes and sharpen their skills. HOPE Outdoor Gallery became one of Austin’s top tourist attractions with the gallery’s inaugural installation by none other than Fairey.

After the Castle Hill property was sold to a new developer, Scull and her team secured a 17-acre lot for a reinvented gallery.

“She is reclaiming areas that have been destitute and forgotten and [creating] a creative hub,” says Antonio Madrid, co-founder of the new gallery and co-owner of Native Hostel. “She cares a lot about the world she lives in and wants to not only find inspiration in it, but also provide inspiration for others.”

The new gallery will showcase local art, offer event space and provide retail opportunities. The launch in 2020 will kick off with a global-citizen festival to open people’s eyes to the world beyond their immediate surroundings.

“I grew up in a small town that didn’t have a lot of art or art education,” says HOPE Campaign Director Liz Whittington. “I think the one thing that is happening is that art is becoming more democratized. It’s becoming more accessible and places like this show you can paint at all ages; you can see there is something there for everyone.”

Andi Scull’s latest masterpiece is still a work in progress but when it’s complete, every passenger landing at ABIA will receive a visible reminder that together, we can create beauty anywhere and help out people everywhere.

52 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

What’s been the hardest obstacle you’ve overcome when bringing your ideas to life?

“Financing. It’s the same for any entrepreneur. It’s hard to raise capital. Just understanding that…can be very empowering.

It can add to that drive.”

What advice would you give other creatives just starting out?

“Having ideas doesn’t necessarily lead to implementation. It takes a lot of courage to try something when you don’t have a family grant or safety net. Have the courage to try, while knowing you can fail. That is really the only way to achieve what you truly want to do.”

What kind of impact would you like the new HOPE outdoor gallery to have? “[I want] people to realize that culture is a business; it’s not a charity. It can be one of the biggest assets and benefits to a city. Over the nine years we operated at our previous location, it was one of the top tourist destinations in the city; there were busloads of foreign visitors. With our new location being across from the airport, our goal is to make it the unofficial pick-up and drop-off spot to the city.”

NATIVE HOSTEL Native Hostel is an experiential hostel offering a kinetic collision of music, arts, warm beds, sleepless nights and crafted spirits. Envisioned as an incubator for thinkers, makers and creatives, Native aims to break the mold of hospitality by curating a culture of accessible yet noteworthy travel.

Boasting handcrafted design and full-service hospitality, Native offers a distinctive Austin experience for global travelers and local escapists alike.

Think of it as a living room for creatives, where ideas and imagination can be shared alongside coffee, comfort and cocktails. nativehostels.com

Page 49: Jumpsuit available at Estilo, 2727 Exposition Blvd., estiloboutique.com; jewelry by Bulletgirl, bulletgirl.com; artist drawing glove, model’s own.

Page 50: Pants, top, boots and jewelry (except for bracelet) available at Estilo, 2727 Exposition Blvd., estiloboutique. com; bracelet by Bulletgirl, bulletgirl.com; coat by Midi Soliz, instagram.com/midiskirt; artist drawing glove, model’s own.

Page 53: Pants, top and gold necklace available at Estilo, 2727 Exposition Blvd., estiloboutique.com; pearl necklace

by Bulletgirl, bulletgirl.com; Adidas sneakers and artist drawing glove, model’s own.

ATXWOMAN.COM |  53

FEEDING OUR COMMUNITIES

Four women prove that food and social good make for the perfect recipe.

BY REGINE MALIBIRAN PHOTOS BY RILEY BLANKS

F

ood connects us as humans. It’s a source of energy, enjoyment and nostalgia, and in Austin, four women are using food to enact real change in their communities. Through produce, coffee, grilled cheese and honey-buttered biscuits, these women are channeling their passions to come alongside their fellow Austinites and build lasting support systems.

NORA CHOVANEC Deputy Director of the Texas Farmers Market

Nora Chovanec has loved local, seasonal food since she was a young girl in her hometown of Corvallis, Oregon.

“I grew up going to farmers markets with my mom,” Chovanec says. “I still remember the couple who wore straw hats that we bought our eggs from.”

As the deputy director of the Texas Farmers Market, Chovanec combines her love for food and the environment with her background in marketing and design to tell stories about local food, sustainable farming and animal-rearing.

“Not all farmers markets are the same,” Chovanec says. “One of the things that’s really important to us at Texas Farmers Market is that we’re a producer-only market, which means that anybody who sells at our markets has to have grown all the produce that they’re selling. Every person who sells meat at that market has to have humanely raised that animal from birth on their farm with no antibiotics.”

Chovanec leads communications and design while also personally inspecting all the farms and ranches that sell at the market. When it comes to marketing sustainable food, Chovanec strives to make sure Texas Farmers Market always keeps its word and maintains high standards. Having such close contact with its farmers and agricultural producers fosters her deep love for the natural bounties of Central Texas and frequently reminds Chovanec why their work is crucial for environmental sustainability.

“Beef has been getting a bad rap in terms of environmental conservation these days. I 100 percent agree that factory-farmed, corn-fed beef is bad for the environment and bad for the people eating it,” Chovanec says. “But I work with ranches in Central Texas where cattle have existed for thousands of years prior to becoming domesticated. In order to have healthy grasslands that regenerate seasonally, you need animals to eat the grass and then move to another area and allow the grass to grow. You can raise cattle in a way that, done correctly, [it] can be good for the environment.”

2020 is Texas Farmers Market’s 10th anniversary, and to commemorate the milestone, Chovanec is designing posters highlighting the work of its farmers and ranchers.

“When I’m designing each poster, I always smile,” Chovanec says. “I know all these people and the incredible work they’re doing on their land. I feel so happy to be able to use my skills to promote the things they’re working toward.”

Chovanec’s genuine zeal for community and doing the right thing—even if it’s inconvenient— shines brightly through her work and personality.

“I believe in inspiration,” she says. “I believe in passion; I believe in hope and working with people.”

54 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? “At my core, I do this work as a deep environmentalist. I really see all the ranchers and farmers that we work with as not just people who feed our community but they’re also on the front lines as stewards of our environment.”

ATXWOMAN.COM |  55

56 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

“”

[My husband and I] don’t need a lot so whatever we can, we just give back.

KHANH TRANG Co-owner of Greater Goods Coffee Co.

Given the abundance of coffee and coffee shops in the city, it’s fair to say that the small yet mighty bean runs the lives of many Austinites. For Khanh Trang, coffee doesn’t just run her life; it is her life.

Trang, the co-founder of Greater Goods Coffee Co., had her first coffee-inspired “aha!” moment in 2009.

“I used to drink really, really dark coffee,” Trang says. “But I stumbled upon a coffee shop one day [where] the barista brewed me a Peru. It was a medium roast and I’d never had a cup of coffee where I could drink it black and taste all the flavors.”

She was inspired again during a trip with her husband (and co-founder), where they serendipitously stayed at a hotel next to Portland, Oregon’s annual coffee expo. They decided to check it out and immediately she was “mind blown.”

“Every possible person that could possibly touch coffee was there,” Trang says. “That was the moment when the light bulb turned on. Maybe I didn’t have to own a coffee shop, but I could do every other thing.”

After being inspired by her coffee experiences, Trang tried to find a job as a roaster.

However, at the time, she was hard-pressed to find anyone teaching or hiring for the craft. Where there wasn’t a path, Trang blazed her own.

Greater Goods started in 2015 as a roastery and training center with the intent to make the career more accessible to more people. Greater Goods’ values of sustainability, charity, education and excellent customer service are evident in every level of the business.

One of the ways that Greater Goods exemplifies its values is by giving back to four local charities: Central Texas Food Bank, Autism Society of Central Texas, Boys & Girls Club of the Austin Area and Austin Pets Alive! For each bag of coffee sold, Greater Goods donates to one of these organizations. Purchasing one bag of coffee can supply up to three meals for a person in need or fund a day of support for at-risk animals.

“These charities are very close to our hearts,” Trang says. “Autism Society hits close to home because both sides of our families have been affected. With Boys & Girls Club, we just grew up with no money. [My husband and I] don’t need a lot so whatever we can, we just give back.”

Trang takes her role as the head of quality control seriously—not just in their roasting processes but in her leadership. Regulars and newcomers alike can feel assured that their coffee is not only delicious but also ethically supports both the farmers that grew it and their communities.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? “Being an immigrant and having both parents work really hard instilled that work ethic in me. I’m not afraid of the hard work and the long hours. I also have my staff’s livelihood to think about. I can’t be afraid of failure.”

ATXWOMAN.COM | 57

“”

Recruiters would tell me, ‘You haven’t been working for 16 years so it’s going to be hard for us to sell you.’

HOPE GREEN Owner of Emojis Grilled Cheese Bar

When Hope Green opened Emojis Grilled Cheese Bar, she did so out of necessity. After the 2008 recession cost Green her real-estate business, she needed to find a sustainable way to provide for her 9-year-old daughter.

“People were waiting for the market to come back up,” Green says. “By the time we realized that it wasn’t, I had used all my savings just trying to stay afloat. Banks weren’t really ready to help so I ended up losing my house.”

A native Texan, Green relocated to Austin with her daughter for a fresh start.

Relatives housed them but Green knew that consistent couch surfing (sometimes separately) wasn’t what she wanted for her daughter’s childhood. But when she attempted to find a job after being self-employed, she faced significant challenges.

“Recruiters would tell me, ‘You haven’t been working for 16 years so it’s going to be hard for us to sell you,’” Green says. “But I had built a company with 2,300 employees!

That was the most ludicrous thing I’d heard. It set the stage for what my expectations would be like trying to find work in Austin.”

The corporate world closed off to her, Green leaned back into her entrepreneurial spirit. She brainstormed with her daughter, who provided her with some helpful insight.

“She told me, ‘You know, if you sold food, you’d probably sell something every day,’” Green says. “Once it was out in the universe I wondered if I could actually do that.”

Emojis Grilled Cheese Bar started off at farmers markets. The business quickly grew in popularity and some of Green’s first customers encouraged her to charge more than just five dollars for her generously sized sandwiches. Soon, Green found herself needing to hire more staff, which led her to providing resources and employment for homeless youth.

“When the truck was downtown, there was this young lady that would just hang out.

Eventually I told her to come help me,” Green says. “Just talking with her, I would learn more about her. Being a teenager, estranged from your parents and still trying to make your way in the world is such a weird state of limbo.”

Having experienced homelessness herself, Green was quick to explore how to help her staff. She started researching organizations that provide support for homeless and underserved youth. She’s currently developing a culinary curriculum to assist teenagers leaving juvenile detention with their education and employment. With the ultimate goal of creating a path toward self-sufficiency, Green proudly considers herself a “second chance employer.”

“No matter what your goal is, there are three or four pathways to get there,” Green says.

Former Emojis employees have started their own businesses since leaving the food truck. By taking the time to learn how to best provide for the underserved in her community, eliminating barriers to success and dishing out tough love when needed, Green exemplifies strength through severe adversity and the beauty of paying success forward.

58 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? “I don’t like that money is the measure of success. I want us to have a more socially conscious way of measuring success. I want us to get to a point where we say, ‘Your company is successful because you got 23 homeless teens off the street,’ and to see that as better than making $23 million.”

To read more, visit atxwoman.com.

ATXWOMAN.COM |  59

60 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

“”

Success to me now is when I go to work, is everyone here happy and healthy?

CALLIE SPEER Owner and Executive Chef at Holy Roller

Callie Speer, the executive chef and owner of Holy Roller, has worked in Austin restaurants since she was 16. Working her way up through the ranks of the restaurant industry from a young age taught Speer invaluable lessons and skills. But it also exposed her to the industry’s high-stress culture and unhealthy coping mechanisms.

“Looking back at it, I knew I drank a whole lot more than what is the norm,” Speer says. “My lifestyle didn’t seem weird to me at the time because everyone else was doing the same thing.”

A 2015 study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that the restaurant industry ranks as one of the highest in terms of heavy alcohol use in the United States. For Speer to break the cycle, it took some self-awareness and a lot of tough love.

“I came into work one day and one of my friends was mad at me,” Speer recalls. “I asked him, ‘What’s your problem?’ After a bit of poking and prodding he’s like, ‘You’re my problem. It sucks to work with you. All these women have the opportunity to work with you and that’s why they’re here. This is the version of yourself that you’re giving them?’ ” Though it was incredibly hard to hear, ultimately that conversation became one of the main reasons why Speer decided to make some major changes in her life. She went to a rehabilitation facility for a month to help her get and stay sober. Afterward, she knew that she couldn’t just jump back into the same lifestyle and environment that led to her struggles in the first place.

Holy Roller came at a fortuitous time in Speer’s career. She knew she wanted to create a different culture than what most people in the industry were familiar with, which led to hiring women for leadership roles in her restaurant and creating an affirming space for recovery.

“Our kitchen manager is in recovery and he has shocked and awed me at how loyal and hard-working he is,” Speer says. “I’m watching him build this life for himself that he didn’t have before and it’s incredible to [witness].”

Speer is always thinking about “how to be of service to other people” and “how to do the next right thing.” She’s dedicated to progressing the work for herself, for her staff and for others. Besides running her own restaurant, Speer is also on the board of Heard, a nonprofit specifically focused on mental-health advocacy for the food service industry.

“Five years ago, success to me looked like winning awards [and] stories and pictures in magazines,” Speer says. “Success to me now is when I go to work, is everyone here happy and healthy? Is my daughter happy and healthy? Do we have a good home? It’s making sure that all the building blocks in my life are loved.”

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? “The feeling of sitting with somebody and watching them be able to get through something themselves and come out of the other side feels really good. I’m a sucker for the underdog and really like second chances and really like watching people do awesome things.”

ATXWOMAN.COM | 61

RECIPE REVEAL

SPRING INTO THE KITCHEN

Recreate Chefs Jo Chan and Sonya Coté’s signature dishes at home.

LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES Eberly Executive Chef Jo Chan shares her restaurant’s “signature brunch dish.” This recipe is also a Mealshare item on Eberly’s menu, meaning for every pancake ordered, one dollar is donated to the Central Texas Food Bank, providing an underserved child with a meal.

Ingredients for the Batter 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 large egg 1/4 cup ricotta 2 lemons, zested

Ingredients for the Topping 2 tablespoons wildflower honey 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted 1 tablespoon powdered sugar 1/2 cup mascarpone Directions 1. Heat your griddle to medium-low heat.

2. C ombine all dry ingredients for the batter in a large mixing bowl. Add remaining batter ingredients into the dry mixture and slowly stir with a whisk until incorporated. Leave the batter slightly lumpy to create fluffy pancakes.

4. Allow your pancakes to cook until bubbles come to the surface. Flip them over and allow them to finish cooking. You can always tell that they’re done by lightly touching them in the center to see if the batter has set. For fluffy pancakes, try not to move them around during cooking.

5. Once your pancakes are done cooking, drizzle the honey over them while they’re still hot. Chan suggests topping the pancakes the Eberly way, with toasted almonds, a sprinkle of powdered sugar and mascarpone cheese instead of butter.

62 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

Photos courtesy of Jo Chan.

3. S pray the griddle with nonstick cooking spray and pour batter to the desired size. Chan recommends using a large ice-cream scoop to keep everything cleaner and create more uniformly sized pancakes.

FARM BQ

Ingredients for the Dressing

Sonya Coté, chef and owner of Eden East, shares one of her favorite farm-totable dishes. She recommends substituting any ingredients with in-season vegetables to keep this recipe versatile and fresh.

2 tablespoons romesco sauce

Ingredients for the Vegetables

1 tablespoon everything bagel seasoning A handful of seasonal greens or edible flowers for garnish Directions 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees, or start a fire in your smoker.

2. T oss raw vegetables in grapeseed oil, salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet.

3. R oast vegetables for about 25 minutes, until tender and lightly smoked (not brown).

4. Slice vegetables like you would a brisket.

5. Dress with romesco sauce, molasses and seasoning. Garnish with fresh arugula, fennel frond, shaved radish, sorrel, edible flowers or any seasonal sprouts.

Photos courtesy of Sonya Coté.

3 beets, cut in wedges 3 large carrots 1 sweet potato 1/2 head Romanesco cauliflower 1 fennel bulb 3 large turnips Grapeseed oil to coat Salt to taste Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon molasses gastrique

ATXWOMAN.COM | 63

WHAT’S COOKIN’

PRETTY IN PINK

Gabriela Bucio shares the inspiration behind her latest project.

BY COURTNEY RUNN

W

ith its rosy tortillas, fuchsia cocktails and cherry-covered bathroom, Taquero Mucho was always bound to be a social-media star. The taqueria opened in mid-February on West Avenue, taking over closed pizzeria Frank and Angie’s. A play on the Spanish for ‘I love you,’ Owner Gabriela Bucio says once she knew she “wanted a pink restaurant, there was no other name for it.”

Bucio also owns modern Mexican restaurant Gabriela’s Downtown and nightlcub Mala Vida with her brother Arturo Bucio and hopes to keep adding to their foodie empire beyond this recent expansion.

Born in Mexico and raised in McAllen, Texas, Gabriela Bucio has now spent more than 20 years in Austin. No stranger to the city’s crowded industry scene, she focuses on food and atmosphere, letting her restaurants speak for themselves.

“I want to let people know [Taquero Mucho] is woman-owned and -operated. It’s by us, for us. Yes, it’s Instagrammable and really pretty, but that’s just because I’m very creative,” Gabriela Bucio says. “The food and drinks are very authentic. I like to say it’s cute but it’s still Mexican AF.” Austin Woman talked to Gabriela Bucio to find out the details behind Austin’s cutest new restaurant.

Austin Woman: What inspired your new taqueria?

Gabriela Bucio: We wanted to open up a second taqueria downtown and because at Gabriela’s we have a lot of bachelorettes [and] a lot of bachelor parties come through, we just noticed that Austin is a high destination for bachelorette and bachelor parties. So, we wanted to provide a space—a very girl-friendly space—where bachelorettes can come and celebrate their special occasion.

AW: Who did you work with to design the space?

GB: I worked with Unhinged Studio, but it was my idea. I chose everything. I made the flower wall myself…I basically got with them and said, ‘I want a pink restaurant. This is the wallpaper I want, this is the color I want, where should I put it?’ It was a collaboration between them and I. I just kept saying, ‘It’s not pink enough, it’s not pink enough.’ I just really wanted it to be over-the-top pink.

GB: It’s my brother who does the food. We decided to make the tacos pink, as well, and use all-natural ingredients. We use vegetables, fruits to make the margaritas pink…and just try to have as much pink stuff on the menu.

AW: Do you have more restaurants in the works?

GB: Yes, we have one more pop-up that we want to open…I’d love to maybe open another Gabriela’s, too somewhere north or south.

Taquero Mucho is doing really well so, you never know, I might want to open another Taquero Mucho as well.

64 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

Photo by Carlos Reyes.

AW: How did you design the menu and make sure it reflected the pink theme, too?

ATXWOMAN.COM |  65

Photo by Carlos Reyes.

HER ROUTINE

LUCK OF THE IRISH

Former collegiate athlete Christina Palomino breaks the norm with Gaelic football.

BY MARIAH C. HARPER

THE A.M.:

“I start the day with French press coffee and meditation.

Meditation centers me for the day. I also do a morning yoga or workout class a few days a week, and even if I’m not able to get a workout in, I still like to do something active such as taking a walk.

I have ClassPass and use it for workout programs like Athletic Outcomes or Pilates because group exercise has a team element to it. Then, I drive to work.”

THE WORKOUT:

Christina Palomino throws herself into sports, both figuratively and literally. The Colorado native has channeled her ambitious spirit through a variety of sports, from competing on San Diego State University’s soccer team to joining volleyball and flag-football leagues when she moved to Austin in 2012. Then, in 2016, she fell in love with a sport she didn’t even know existed.

Palomino, a half-center forward for the Celtic Cowboys, discovered Gaelic football through her masseuse, Melissa McCabe, a midfielder on the team.

McCabe noticed Palomino had athletic legs and invited her to try the sport.

Gaelic football originated in Ireland more than 100 years ago; the unique sport is a combination of volleyball, soccer and basketball. Women’s teams consist of 13 to 15 players who try to outscore opponents during 60-minute games, which are split into 30-minute halves. Players can take no more than four steps before they must move the ball. They may “solo” the ball (bounce it off the tip of their foot into the hands), “hop” the ball (bounce it on the ground) or pass the ball to a teammate (either by throwing or bouncing the ball off their hand). The objective is to score goals by throwing the ball past a goalie and into the net for three points, or over the net between two vertical poles for one point.

“I love that I can take skills I learned in other sports and apply it in Gaelic,” Palomino says.

The Celtic Cowboys’ season runs from February through August. They play locally at Zilker Park and face teams in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio before their season-ending national tournament in Boston later this summer. When she’s not on the field, she’s an account executive at start-up Enboarder.

Here’s how this footballer keeps outscoring her opponents.

66 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

“The team practices together twice a week once we get in season.

We used to workout with the men as well, but the sport got too popular. We broke into separate teams. Saturday practices are bigger and happen at Zilker Park at 10 a.m. We work on drills and scrimmages during that time and usually go for about an hour and a half. Gaelic uses several different muscle groups and I make sure to vary my workouts outside of practice. Cardio is super important, too. Just like with soccer, we can run several miles over the course of a game.”

THE DIET:

“I limit alcohol during the week and enjoy challenges such as the 30-day no-drinking challenge. I also eat lots of veggies and greens.

My favorite foods are spinach with eggs, roasted veggies, salmon and chicken. I try to avoid carbs and gluten.”

THE GEAR:

“We wear cleats both during practices and games. My cleats are Nike. Though Gaelic isn’t exactly a contact sport like rugby, there’s definitely some pushing similar to soccer and basketball—that’s why we wear mouth guards in games. We also have a game uniform with our sponsors. I will wear gloves when it’s rainy or wet outside because it gives me better grip on the ball.”

THE MOTIVATION:

“Gaelic is fun, different and challenging. It’s never boring. Running around with your team creates exercise endorphins, and you get to do it outside at Zilker Park. What’s not to love?”

THE MINDSET:

“You will make mistakes. Push through and laugh at yourself. It’s all about staying healthy and building mental toughness.”

THE P.M.:

“I typically spend evenings cooking with my boyfriend. We are both big on routines because we believe they set you up for a productive next day. We’ll make dinner and watch a show. One of our favorites is The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Before going to bed early, we drink tea. The tea we’re currently trying is called Yogi Bedtime.”

ATXWOMAN.COM |  67

Photo by Mireya Almaraz. .

WAITING ROOM

FIGHTING PCOS

The hormonal condition is widespread but still misunderstood.

BY TRINADY JOSLIN

Doctors first discovered polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in the 1930s when they started noticing pearllike cysts on the periphery of some women’s ovaries. As science has progressed, the analogy of a pearl necklace stuck but doctors have since learned the hormonal condition is much more nuanced.

“In actuality, they’re not cysts at all,” Texas Fertility Center’s Dr. Lisa Hansard says. “They’re the follicles that the eggs develop in.”

For a woman to get pregnant, two hormones must interact to produce a dominant follicle. The follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) causes the ovary to produce follicles, while the luteinizing hormone (LH) causes the dominant follicle to ovulate. Women who have PCOS have higher levels of LH relative to FSH and this impairs ovulation.

“”

It strips a lot of our ability to feel like a woman.

68 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

“Women with PCOS rarely grow a dominant follicle; they remain at the same immature stage of development,” Hansard says. “So, you’ve got all these little follicles basically in limbo.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PCOS affects up to five million women in the U.S. and is one of the top causes of infertility. Austin resident Stephanie Tollett was diagnosed at age 19 and for the past two decades has learned alongside the medical field how to manage her treatment.

“It affects every way my body functions,” Tollett says.

Higher cortisol levels create dark patches of skin on her body, varying glucose levels affect her ability to lose weight and keep it off and her inability to shed uterine lining creates a higher risk for ovarian, uterine and cervical cancers. She experiences hair loss and spots of unwanted hair growth. PCOS also affects her mental health, increasing her likelihood for anxiety and depression.

“Some of the physical attributes I have of PCOS makes it very hard to have a good self-esteem,” Tollett says. “We have a lot of physical identifiers that are not socially feminine. It strips a lot of our ability to feel like a woman. And it’s really hard to live with.”

Tollett has been married for 13 years and says while she and her husband have been trying to get pregnant, PCOS makes it difficult because she does not ovulate.

“The one thing I wanted when I got married more than anything was to be a mother and 13 years later, I’m not one yet,” Tollett says.

Hansard says taking birth control and decreasing sugar intake can help manage the symptoms of PCOS, but the condition isn’t curable, and doctors aren’t sure what causes it, though they suspect genetics may be a factor.

Three years ago, Tollett created a group on Facebook called PCOS Support Group - Austin Area to connect women with PCOS and provide resources for managing the condition.

“It has now become a mission for me to help other women realize that this is a problem,” Tollett says. “If you have not been tested and you think you may have it, [I] strongly advise you to do it as soon as possible, because the younger you are when you realize you have it, the better you are able to reverse some of the symptoms.”

The group, which now has around 160 members from the Austin area, also helps women learn to advocate for themselves and provides a support system within a safe space.

“This group has really created a place where women can come…

There is nothing wrong with you,” Tollett says. “This is just something that we are all in together.”

LAW OFFICE OF JANET MCCULLAR, P.C. Complex Divorce and Custody 512.342.9933 | jmccullarlaw.com

SELFLESS

AUSTIN’S ORIGINAL WIG SALON. SERVING CUSTOMERS ALL OVER TEXAS FOR OVER 50 YEARS. PROFESSIONAL STYLING

CUSTOM FITTING PRIVATE ROOMS

PERSONAL APPOINTMENTS

HAIRPIECES

WE SPECIALIZE IN WIGS FOR CHEMO & RADIATION PATIENTS

Anders o

n Ln.

Burn

Mo

pa

c

N

PASSIONATE

Now more than ever we see how vital nurses are to society’s wellbeing. Your vote recognizes outstanding nurses as among the best in their class during Austin’s annual Recognizing Nurses celebration this fall at the JW Marriott. We thank them for their unwavering bravery and devotion no matter what challenges they face.

VOTE FOR YOUR NURSE NOW THROUGH MAY 1 AT RECOGNIZINGNURSES.COM.

et

NORTHWOOD PLAZA 2900 W. Anderson Ln., Ste H | 512.323.9220 O P E N : M-F: 10am-5:30pm | Sa: 10am-4pm

HUMBLE

www.SERENITYWIGANDSALON . com

PRESENTED BY

Sponsored Content

IT’S NOT JUST PAINFUL PERIODS

A discussion with UT Health Austin experts on endometriosis.

Despite what you may have been told growing up, severely painful periods are not normal and can be a sign of a more serious problem. Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition where endometrial-like tissue affects organs in the pelvic area. The lesions trigger an inflammatory reaction that can result in chronic pain (pain lasting more than six months) that typically worsens with the menstrual cycle, generating pain, adhesions and scar tissue buildup in the pelvic area.

About one in 10 women have endometriosis, meaning around 200 million women suffer from it worldwide, but many go undiagnosed for sometimes up to 10 or more years.

UT Health Austin Women’s Health Institute endometriosis experts Dr. Christina Salazar and Dr. Michael Breen are here to tell you, yes, your pain is real and, yes, you deserve answers and treatment.

What do we know about the cause of endometriosis?

While the causes of endometriosis might not be fully understood yet, Breen explains, “We think that there is a hereditary component or a genetic link that we have not identified yet. For example, if you have family members, such as your mother, grandmother or aunt, usually on your mother’s side, that have the condition, that can be a risk factor.”

There may be an embryologic origin of endometriosis as well; the condition has been found in premenarchal females (girls who haven’t had their first menstrual period) and in some rare cases, men. Evidence shows that it can spread to various areas in the body beyond the pelvic region.

“We also think that there are cells that are predestined to be uterine lining cells, and they develop outside the uterus in the embryonic phase, which ultimately causes endometriosis,” Breen says. “These cells can sometimes appear in other places, such as the lung or the brain, although that is very rare.”

Sponsored Content

What are the risks associated with endometriosis?

If the pain and symptoms worsen as the endometriotic lesions become deeper and more fibrotic, infertility may occur, as well as possible bladder or bowel dysfunction, or pain with sex. Ovarian cysts, called endometriomas, can form and other structures can be damaged if infiltration occurs in the bladder, the rectum or the ureter (the duct that urine passes through from the kidney to the bladder), which can potentially cause loss of kidney function.

“Many patients with endometriosis often suffer from other linked comorbid conditions, such as interstitial cystitis, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic headaches, chronic low-back pain, vulvodynia, fibromyalgia, temporomandibular joint disease, chronic fatigue syndrome and mood conditions, such as depression, anxiety and PTSD,” Salazar says.

How do you diagnose and treat endometriosis?

“Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery remains the gold standard for diagnosing and treating endometriosis,” Salazar says. “Advanced laparoscopic techniques allow endometriosis surgeons the ability to diagnose and therapeutically surgically excise endometriosis.”

“There are different stages of endometriosis: Stage one is minimal endometriosis, and it goes up to stage four, which is cohesive adhesions, but clinical symptoms are very variable,” Breen says.

“This means a patient with stage one may be experiencing extreme

pain, whereas a patient with stage three or four may be experiencing minimal pain.

So, many times recurrent surgery is dependent on what the symptoms are for the patient. Our goal is to try to do one surgery to diagnose and resect, and then hope a patient never has to have surgery again.”

What is the medical community doing to learn more?

While there still may be a lot of work to do in terms of understanding the condition, clinicians at UT Health Austin, the Dell Medical School and other departments across the University of Texas are making progress as more government funding is becoming available for research and as nonprofit organizations and patients are advocating for awareness and change.

“We know that endometriosis doesn’t start affecting a woman when she’s 30, but likely started when she had her first menstrual cycle in her teens,” Breen says.

“Here in Austin, we are doing a lot of work that includes resections of endometriosis in adolescent patients that, 10 years ago, we wouldn’t have considered doing surgery [on]. The goal is to identify ways to isolate those patients that are appropriate for surgery and be able to intervene and deliver care earlier in life.”

Dr. Livia Eberlin, a research scientist at the UT Mass Spectrometry Lab, is working with Breen to research ways that will identify endometriosis without

surgery, by analyzing the disease’s unique signature on the mass spectrometer analysis.

For more information about the Women’s Health Institute at UT Health Austin, call 1.833.UT.CARES (1.833.882.2737) or visit uthealthaustin.org.

ON THE MONEY

SURVIVING AS A SMALL BUSINESS IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

Here’s how to rebound from the panic and strain of COVID-19.

BY JENNY HOFF

MAXIMIZE ONLINE PRESENCE

Surviving as a small-business owner is never easy and most entrepreneurs expect some hard seasons: disruptive weather, fluctuations in the stock market and economic slowdowns, to name a few. But it’s impossible to forecast a crisis like COVID-19, a historic global pandemic prompting unprecedented quarantines and closures and disrupting businesses without a clear end in sight.

While the future impact of this pandemic is still uncertain, there are some things you can do to safeguard your business, restore your mental health and find assistance for immediate cash needs.

“You don’t want to be reactionary; you want to be proactive,” says business coach and jewelry-industry mentor Robin Kramer. “Communication is key and so is showing compassion. Reach out to your customers and meet with your staff to acknowledge what’s happening, what you’re doing in response and ask how you can help them.”

“” You don’t want to be reactionary; you want to be proactive.

72 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

If you have a business that you can take online, you’re one of the lucky ones. Use this opportunity to expand your online presence with educational videos about your product, virtual tours of your store and candid chats about how you’re helping the community cope with the situation. You may find opportunities to expand your business in ways you hadn’t had time to do before.

Rachel Campbell, small-business owner of Fit4Mom Sunset Valley, has turned her in-person boot-camp workouts for moms into a live online workout class via her new Facebook group, Break a Sweat with RLC. With her digital pivot, she’s creating videos and nutrition guides for her current members, while also globally expanding her business to reach moms beyond her normal vicinity of South Austin. If your business is flexible with its reach, consider how you can use your online network to stay afloat.

RESEARCH RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO SMALL-BUSINESS OWNERS

The Small Business Administration is offering relief loans to qualifying businesses affected by COVID-19, and in the coming weeks, we may see more government initiatives to financially boost small-business owners’ cash flows.

“There are also several emergency relief measures for small business being floated right now, including free deferral of student loans, lowcost loans from the SBA and penalty-free late filing of taxes that smallbusiness owners should explore to help reduce the pinch of a short-term cash crunch,” says Monica Mehta, financial expert and author of The Entrepreneurial Instinct.

Mehta recommends working with community banks to apply for loans, as they may have more of a financial incentive to keep lending as interest rates go down and expand credit limits where possible to keep up with necessary expenses. Call your credit-card company and see how they can help you avoid fees if you can’t make necessary payments at this time.

“Taking swift steps to secure your personal cash flow is essential,” Mehta says. “That means securing a capital cushion [like] emergency funds and cutting expenses to increase your room to run.”

While the future is unknown, Mehta and Kramer recommend squelching panic and approaching the situation with a clear head. The U.S. is in a much better position than it was entering the 2008 recession, thanks to historically low unemployment’and a reduction in personal debt. By reevaluating your business, reaching out to your customers and securing your cash flow, you can hopefully make it to the other side stronger than before.

“I tell my clients that above all, they need to be the heroines of their lives, not the victims,” Kramer says. “We are all in this together.”

Sponsored Content

HOW TO KEEP YOUR CAR GERM-FREE

BY CHELSEA BANCROFT

As we battle coronavirus, it matters now more than ever to take precautions to keep you and your family healthy. Unfortunately, your car can be a germ magnet but with these tips from Roger Beasley Mazda, you can keep your car clean and germ-free.

Be prepared.

Vacuum your car.

Keep disinfecting wipes, tissues and hand sanitizer in your car at all times.

Dust, pollen, germs and more can easily become embedded in your vehicle’s carpet and seats. Vacuuming regularly can prevent them from building up and keeps your car cleaner.

It is a good idea to get your car fully detailed at least two to three times per year. That includes thoroughly cleaning the vehicle’s exterior and interior, vacuuming and shampooing the carpets and seats, and wiping down all surfaces.

Wash car seats.

Get a full detail.

Disinfect all surfaces.

Change your cabin air filter.

No, it’s not just something the maintenance techs are trying to up-sell you; cabin air filters are important. They help keep out dust, pollen and pollution from the air outside.

Wipe down your keys.

Don’t forget about cleaning your keys! According to Time magazine, keys are one of the germiest things you touch every day.

Photo by Madie Peart.

Wipe down all the surfaces in your vehicle with medical-grade disinfecting wipes every few days.

Don’t forget radio knobs, seat belts, cup holders, door handles, light switches, etc. And especially don’t forget the steering wheel. One study found that they can have more bacteria than a public toilet. Ew!

Spray down cloth and leather seats with fabric-disinfecting spray. If you have kids, be sure to wash and wipe down their car seats once a week; they can be a breeding ground for germs.

Chelsea Bancroft is the strategic-partnerships and social-media manager at Roger Beasley Mazda and a blogger at onechelofanadventure.com.

ASK LUCY

PICTURE PERFECT

Here’s where to stage your bluebonnet photo shoot.

BY LUCY J. PHILLIPS

Dear Lucy, I have recently seen a few photos of my furry friends posing in fields of wildflowers. Since my human and I are not from Texas originally, I wondered if you could explain this spring phenomenon? I would love to tell my human how and where to stage a similar spring photo shoot so I can stay on trend with all my fellow photogenic friends this season.

Dear Frank,

In case you are colorblind and haven’t already spotted the fields of blue along MoPac, a bluebonnet is the common name for one of six Lupinus species. Collectively, they represent the state flower of Texas. Locals have long staged family photo sessions in fields of these spring blossoms, especially at Easter, decked out in their Sunday best. It’s a particularly Texan rite of passage, and I would argue that once you have staged your own photo shoot, you’ll be able to officially claim your Texas citizenship.

The Texas Hill Country boasts some of the best bluebonnet patches in Texas.

The town of Burnet, Texas dubs itself the Bluebonnet Capital of Texas, hosting an annual festival featuring parades, entertainment and shopping. Just 20 minutes down the road, Kingsland, Texas claims its own bluebonnet status with an official town slogan of, “Where the Rivers Flow and the Bluebonnets Grow.”

Be prepared to pull over on your drive along the scenic Farm-to-Market Road 1431; the best patches bloom along the highway.

Burnet may be the Bluebonnet Capital, but Ennis, Texas is proudly known as the Official Bluebonnet City in Texas. Located south of Dallas, the little town boasts 40-plus miles of the Official Texas Bluebonnet Trail. For a truly Texan experience, head east of Austin to Brenham, home of Blue Bell Ice Cream. After touring the factory and sampling a dollar scoop, use the Wildflower Watch website to navigate the helpful wildflower map for all the best local sightings.

Sticking closer to home, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a lovely place to snap photos, and you can usually find a field or two in McKinney Falls State Park. Of course, don’t forget your own neighborhood! Last year, I staged my spring shoot in a patch of beauties that popped up in front of a neighbor’s house on our street. With the right camera angle, you don’t have to wander far to snap a great shot of these gorgeous heralds of spring.

WHEN

HOW

There are several factors that determine when bluebonnets will bloom at peak season, which varies from year to year. According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the species germinate in the fall and their rosettes grow through the winter before blossoming after warm rains in spring. Cool snaps in spring weather can slow down or shorten a peak season, while an earlier arrival of warm weather can produce “oceans of blue” in a matter of days. In general, you can count on seeing them between late March and early April.

The first thing to know about staging the best spring photos is that flowers are friends, not food! Bluebonnets are toxic to both humans and dogs if consumed, so sniff at your leisure but do not eat the wildflowers. Second, if you find a pleasant patch of flowers along the highway, be sure to watch out for bees and snakes on your adventure. Nothing ruins a good photo shoot like an emergency trip to the vet. Finally, to get the best shot, my human brings a toy or treat to hold behind the camera. Whether on a day trip or a neighborhood walk, I am usually hot and overstimulated by the time the camera comes out, but I’ll smile for a treat.

WHERE

All the best in your adventures!

Ah yes, ‘tis the season for a good romp in the wildflowers. In March,, I saw them popping up on the side of the highway when I stuck my nose out the window on our most recent road trip. If you are not from Texas, then let me start by sharing some fun facts about our beautiful state flower and the annual tradition of the bluebonnet photo shoot WHAT

While traveling out of town during bluebonnet season this year will most likely not be an option because of COVID-19, bookmark these Texas gems for next year’s adventures.

Puppy love,

Lucy

If you have a dog-related question for Lucy, reach out and follow her on Instagram @asklucydog.

74 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

Lucy photo courtesy of Hannah J. Phillips.

Love, Frank the French Bulldog

Empower

Sponsored Content

Local Women by Supporting Local Nonprofits

Photos courtesy of GirlForward.

From providing essential food, shelter and safety for those in need, to empowering girls to be confident leaders and study STEM fields, to keeping mothers healthy and creating support networks for female entrepreneurs, there are many nonprofits in our hometown working day in and day out to improve the lives of local women.

Community members can play an active role in supporting and uplifting women across Central Texas through volunteerism, advocacy, monthly donations to local nonprofits and nonprofit leadership. I Live Here I Give Here, an Austin-based nonprofit with an all-female staff working to make our community the most generous in the U.S., offers a year-round platform to search for local causes you are passionate about and makes it easy to get involved.

Visit AmplifyATX.org to find nonprofits with missions centered on women’s health, youth education and safety and resources for refugees and victims of violence. Discover organizations equipping women with tools, professional trainings, workwear and networks to succeed as business leaders, creatives and entrepreneurs, as well as nonprofits supplying breast milk for infants, support systems for new parents and so much more. If there is a cause or issue that personally moves you, it is likely that a Central Texas nonprofit is working to address it, right here in our backyard.

With local organizations like Girls Empowerment Network, bossbabesATX, Stop Abuse for Everyone (SAFE), Mothers’ Milk Bank, GirlForward and the League of Women Voters, there are numerous nonprofits making today and tomorrow brighter for girls and women in our city. When we connect with the causes we care about and get involved with these organizations, we learn more about our neighbors and ourselves, and cultivate the spirit of generosity that makes Austin the place where we all love to live, work and play. Together, we can all make a difference for Austin women.

Find a cause that inspires you and get involved at AmplifyATX.org.

I AM AUSTIN WOMAN

SLAYING STEREOTYPES

15-year-old fantasy writer Lorena Koppel is fighting for more heroines in middle-grade fiction.

interviewed me about what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I talked about my book. When the article was published, they quoted me as saying “45-page manuscript” instead of “450-page manuscript.”

In all honesty, being underestimated only made me more determined to finish. But I am lucky; I have my base of family and mentors who always support me, and I will forever be grateful to them for believing in me. I persevered, never stopped writing and never gave up on my vision. Now I’ve completed my debut fantasy novel, The Shadow in Her Pocket, and pitched it to agents in New York City. Sign up to preorder my book at LorenaKoppel.com. Never let age or gender limit your potential—you can accomplish anything.

friend told me in elementary school, after seeing the stack of short stories I’d written at 9 years old.

“You’re right,” I replied, and got to work. At the time, I genuinely didn’t think writing a novel would be much of a stretch. In retrospect, it was an enormous undertaking, but in the best possible way.

I wrote the majority of my book, The Shadow in Her Pocket, at a time when I had difficulty finding books that resonated with me. I often had the feeling that middle-grade writers were talking down to their audiences, either in linear, formulaic plots, simplified language or in the way authors portrayed young characters. “We don’t talk like this,” I remember thinking. “And we aren’t clueless.”

In the majority of books I read, regardless of their audience, prominent female characters were few and far between. As much as I loved reading, I would always commiserate with my peers about how the female characters were outnumbered in almost every adventure story. I’d never really read a fantasy book where there were more female characters than male, and it made me wonder why that was the case.

As a kid, in my mind, the most logical course of action was to write my own middle-grade novel and prove that kids could both read and write complex stories. I decided early on that my book would switch between the perspectives of three girls, and my imagined government would be run by women.

Kids are creative thinkers: They see a problem and want to fix it; they have an idea and start without hesitation. I started writing my book to change a trend in literature, and I kept going because I loved it.

Besides, I was motivated to prove, both to myself and to everyone else, that I could finish.

For the first several years I was writing, whenever I mentioned my endeavor to adults, they would belittle or underestimate the work I was doing before they had so much as seen a sample of my writing.

Even in eighth grade, when I had already written two full drafts of my novel, my school’s newspaper

76 | AUSTIN WOMAN | APRIL 2020

Photo by Nelissa Torres.

“You could’ve written a whole book by now,” a

We shine brighter with you.

AUSTIN, FOREVER YOURS

512.452.6491

|

2900 W. ANDERSON LN.

|

BENOLDS.COM

AUSTIN WOMAN MAGAZINE | APRIL 2020

Awarded a car of the decade Defined by luxury. Refined by Scandinavian Design. Awarded One of the Best Cars of the Last Decade by Autotrader.*

VOLVO CARS OF AUSTIN | 7216 N. IH-35 • 866-974-6096 • VOLVOAUSTIN.COM

*From “15 Best Cars of the Last Decade” on Autotrader. ©2020 Volvo Cars of North America, LLC.

“One’s philanthropy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes.” –Eleanor Roosevelt

THE VOLVO XC90