Raine 33 - Travel Issue by Raine Magazine

INSPIRE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS

VOL 33 QUARTERLY T R AV E L ISSUE

RAINEMAKER

KATHLEEN ROBERTSON RAISES THE BAR

MEET WENGIE: THE AUSTRALIAN YOUTUBE SENSATION

WELCOME TO BREATHTAKING

MALDIVES

NOVA LORAINE

“I LIVE TO CREATE” -Nova Lorraine

MA GA Z I N E

RAINE INSPIRE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS [I.C.E.]

VOL 33

FAS H I ON CLIMBING NEW HEIGHTS THANK YOU KARL LISA SPRINGSTEEL ME TIME THE SHAINHOUSE GROUP EYES ON YOU

8 14 16 18 24 26

CUL TUR E MALDIVES 34 CALIFORNIA RANCH 42 KAY GAMBY 49 O2N 55

FR ESH FACES WENGIE 59 JONATHAN BENNET 64 LISA DURUPT 67 LISA LINKE 70 ADAM MCARTHUR 74 JOSSELYN AZZANETH 76 PRINDIE 78

R AI NEM AK ER KATHLEEN ROBERTON

TEC H NOLOG Y HOOCH 92 BION 94 SHOWROOM 96 THE 12 MINUTE ATHLETE 98

MA GA Z I N E

RAINE VOL 33

INSPIRE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS [I.C.E.]

F O U N D E R , C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R & E D I T O R I N C H I E F

N OVA L O R R A I N E

SPECIAL THANKS F R E D E R I QU E P ORT E R T I N A L I T T L E J OH N J AV I E R H E R N A N D E Z N ATA S H A B I S H OP

ADVISORY BOARD B E V E RLY J O H NSO N C O N SU E LO VAND E RB I LT CO STI N CONTRIBUTING WRITER LAU RA SH E E H AN

COVER CREDITS C OV E R P H OTO B Y TON Y D U R A N

INTERNS B RYSO N LI TTLE J O H N ALE X I S DARKO CONTENT ADVISORS K RI STO P H E R J O H NSO N LI SA B I E SAK D E RRO N F O RRE ST

ART DIRECTION M A RT I N A M I C KO V I D E O C O N T E N T D I R E C TO R J AV I N F OR R E S T

RAINE MAGAZINE

NEW YORK * LA * SAN FRANCISCO * MIAMI CORRESPONDENCE Raine Magazine 13506 Summerport Village Pkwy Windermere, FL 34786 Raine Magazine is a trademark of Raine Creative Holdings LLC and is published quarterly. All contents, logos, and articles are copyrighted materials and all rights are reserved.Any reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of Raine Creative Holdings is prohibited.The publisher also reserves the right to refuse any advertising material for any reason deemed inappropriate by publisher. To distribute Raine at your business, please email editors@rainemagazine.com. RAINE MAGAZINE INQUIRIES General: editors@rainemagazine.com Submissions:submissions@rainemagazine.com

EDITOR’S NOTE WELCOME TO RAINE MAGAZINE Welcome to a NEW chapter for Raine! I am so excited about what this year brings. You asked and we listened. Moving forward, we will share with you the personal side of Raine – more of the perspective of the person and the voice that brings this magazine to life: Nova Lorraine. Meet Nova. Hello family. Let’s get reacquainted. I’m Nova Lorraine, the Founder and Editor in Chief of Raine Magazine. I launched Raine about 12 years ago, to give a platform to those using their creative gifts to change a community – may it be local, regional or international! It’s for creative professionals with an entrepreneurial spirit. We aim to empower you through photos of incredible fashion, destinations, art and technology – all things that are interwoven in the life and lifestyle of the creative entrepreneur. We are a unique community, with needs and wants that cover daily inspiration, wellness, spirituality and creativity. If you get emotionally moved by color, nature, a brush stroke, gemstones, textile, a hardcover book or simply someone’s smile–in other words, the little things in life – then welcome to our TRIBE.

Inside this issue: • Meet Kathleen Robertson – she is the lead in Northern Exposure on Netflix. You may remember her from 90210 or most recently from Murder in the First with Taye Diggs. She is blazing a trail as a writer, producer, director and actor these days! Read on to get some insight on her newest projects. • Get to know Maldives – one of the must see places in the world for peace and relaxation. Experience Vakkaru - a resort that brings us closer to nature with it’s one of a kind suites. • Over a dozen empowering Q & A’s from entrepreneurs changing the game in fashion, culture or technology. One standout is Jared Christopherson. His company, Tap Network, has developed the first decentralized ad network on Blockchain. • Much, much, more – so, what are you waiting for? Turn the pages and get started on your journey through the Raine!

I created Raine to inspire through one of a kind experiences and great imagery. Welcome to my world. As you go through the pages, you will get a sneak peak at the most incredible people my team and I come across in our day-to-day treasure hunt for the next big names in fashion, culture and technology. These entrepreneurs’ personal journeys are all unique and inspiring. As a fashion designer, and prior academician, I see life through a different lens. I look for richness and authenticity in everything, from the hue of a fabric, to craftsmanship of an object, to a brand’s graphical narrative – it is the quality that counts. From visual storytelling to the inked words on the paper, it all matters!

Nova Lorraine, MA Founder and Editor

If you have a dream. Tell everyone you know. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be surprised how many people will want to help you. -Nova Lorraine

FASHION

CLIMBING NEW HEIGHTS

PHOTOGRAPHER GREG GULBRANSEN PRODUCTION GRISELLE ROSARIO MODEL KATYA KULYZHKA @ WOMEN360 STYLIST - LSC STYLING FOR 4SEASON STYLE MANAGEMENT HAIR EDWIN IRIZARRY MAKEUP GRISELLE ROSARIO NAILS ANGEL WILLIAMS FASHION ASSISTANTS - DASH ARMSTRONG, RAQUEL NEE NICHOLAS K. ROMPER; VITA FEDE CHOKER; CONTOUR STUDIOS EARRINGS; TARIN THOMAS RING; VITA FEDE RING; FEMMES SANS FEUR SHOES R A I N E M AG A Z I N E - VO L U M E 3 3

NUDE JACKET; RICK OWENS TOP; CLAUDIA LI PANTS; ALEXIS GAMBLIN SHOES; JULIE SION EARRINGS

PIER ANTONIO GASPARI TOP & PANTS; ZANA BAYNE BRALET; MANDY WU EARRINGS; JOANNA LAURA CONSTANTINE RING; FENDI SHOES; BLACK SEA HANDBAG

SON JUNG WAN DRESS; ALEXIS GAMBLIN SHOES, IRADJMOINI CUFF

CLAUDIA LI JACKET; AERON PANTS; AURELIE BIDERMANN CHOKER; VITA FEDE EARRINGS; ETTA SABATER SHOES

Photo by Vital Agibalow for Hensel

thank you Karl A T R I B U T E TO K A R L L AG E R F E L D BY LAURA SHEEHAN

The 19th of February in 2019 will be a date the fashion world remembers forever as a fond farewell to one of the most memorable designers in history, Karl Lagerfeld. After missing two Chanel fashion shows earlier this year, speculation mounted around the visionary’s health and sadly, French media reports announced his death in February. Paris Fashion Week came to an end in style with Karl Lagerfeld’s last ever Chanel collection showcased in the Grand Palais-turned-ski resort venue. Just weeks after his death shook the fashion world, supermodels, including Cara Delevinge and Kaia Gerber, took to the catwalk to pay homage to the iconic designer who led the fashion house as Creative Director for over three decades. Born in 1938 in Hamburg, Germany as Karl Lagerfeldt (he later lost the ’t’ to make himself more commercial). Lagerfeld got his first taste of fashion when he attended a Dior show with his mother, who is said to have been a lingerie saleswoman. With the support of his parents, he moved to Paris at the age of 14 to pursue a career in fashion. When he was just 17-years-old, he won an award in the 1954 International Wool Secretariat competition for his coat design which was then produced by Pierre Balmain. This was the start of what would be a long, successful run in one of the world’s most competitive industries for Karl Lagerfeld. A mere nine years later he took on the role of Creative Head at Chloé, a title that would place him in high regard in the style stakes. Over his two stints, he spent 25 years creating a signature Bohemian look for the fashion house. In 1997, he left the house when he was replaced by Stella McCartney. Despite his success at Chloé it was his culminating roles at the head of two of the world’s most iconic brands - Chanel and Italian house, Fendi - that Karl Lagerfeld will be most remembered for. He created his first couture collection for Chanel in 1983 - over 10 years after the death of Coco Chanel. “What I did Coco would have hated. The label has an image and it’s up to me to update it. I do what she never did. I had to find my mark. I had to go from what Chanel was to what it should be, could be, what it had been something else”, Karl once said of Coco Chanel. It took him just one collection before he brought his own influence to the Chanel house. And he must have been doing something right because he was only four years short of 40 years of leading Chanel to global success. He later came out with his namesake brand, Karl by Karl Lagerfeld, which made his designs more accessible to buyers as they don’t carry the same price tag as Chanel, Fendi or Chloé. His time at Fendi saw him design their icon double-F logo that has become accustomed to the brand as it appears across their handbags, shoes and clothing today. When he wasn’t designing collections, Karl was the one behind the camera. In fact, he photographed many of his own Chanel collections. His creativity didn’t stop there though, he even published a dieting book, explaining to readers, and fans alike, how he managed to lose 92 pounds in just 13 months. He cut out Coca Cola, cheese and chocolate cake so he “wear suits by Hedi Slimane”. At the time of his death, Karl held the leading influential role of not one but three fashion power names - Chanel, Fendi and Karl by Karl Lagerfeld. Could you imagine anyone else being that successful? He took a failing Chanel and transformed it into one of the world’s greatest luxury brands and became one of the most recognizable faces in the industry along the way, with his all black look, high collar, fingerless gloves, snow-white ponytail and dark sunglasses - no one wouldn’t recognize the sir Karl Lagerfeld. If there’s one of his pearls of wisdom that we should take with us, let it be this: “Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life so you bought some sweatpants.” Sleep tight, Karl Lagerfeld. Fashion, as we know it, will never be the same.

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A M U S T H AV E F O R FA S H I O N S TA R T U P S

LISA SP R IN GSTE E L DUPRÉ , FOUNDE R A ND AUTHOR

Lisa Springsteel Dupré is the Founder of Launch Your Collection (LLC) and the author of the book, Becoming a Fashion Designer (Wiley), which was published in English in 2013, Mandarin in 2015, and will be published in Arabic in 2019. Lisa Springsteel Dupré is a 20-year New York fashion industry veteran whose career highlights include: participation in design meetings with Mr. Ralph Lauren, celebrity dressing for Teri aHatcher (2005 Emmy Awards), Jennifer Garner (Vogue cover shoot), Melania Trump (custom) and Ethan Hawke (award presentation), an invitation to submit original design illustrations to Oscar de la Renta for his 2004 Spring/Summer runway collection, working alongside Sean Combs as Fabric Director for his Fall 2008 Sean John runway collection, while simultaneously being filmed for “If I Were King,” an MTV documentary, along with being the head booking agent for the adult division of a model management company, all while collaborating with Ford Models, Elite Model Management and Click Model Management. Ms. Springsteel specializes in global fabric and trim research, development, sourcing, design and archiving for ready-to-wear and couture markets. She has worked for Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs and J. Mendel. She created and implemented the first corporate fabric/trim archive and resource center for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, in a position created by Mr. Ralph Lauren. Beyond appearing as a panelist on Fox News, Lisa Springsteel Dupré was also featured in Factio Magazine as a coveted Woman of Style, alongside such recipients as Paloma Picasso, Nicole Richie, Molly Sims, and Tori Burch. She was selected as a semifinalist for the national 2009 More Magazine and Maybelline Colorful Life Contest and was featured on maybelline.com. Her career tip is included in the Little Black Book of Career Advice (foreword written by Dee Dee Myers, former White House Press Secretary). In addition to her many accolades, Ms. Springsteel is the recipient of the esteemed 100 More! Award for exemplary career achievement from Florida State University (FSU) and was invited as guest speaker at the Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series at FSU. Her quickly growing brand, Launch Your Collection, is a one-stop apparel platform that helps fashion start-ups develop, launch, and grow their apparel brand through purposefully crafted launch packages that follow our signature 5-step launch process. Lisa intimately understands that launching an apparel brand is difficult, complex, and hard to navigate. She therefore set out to create the premiere go-to apparel launch consultancy, in which her company makes launching easy. The company not only educates its clients but acts as a mentor and guide while letting clients walk away with a commercially viable apparel brand ready to market, promote, and sell.

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RAINE: Knowing what you know now, what

advice would you have given yourself 5 years ago? LISA: When you first start your own business, you wear so many different hats and in doing so, it usually takes longer than you think to find success. However, if you continue working hard and persevere, you will find that success that you deserve and it will feel so good. RAINE: What three traits do you feel are most

needed to pursue entrepreneurship? LISA: Willingness to work hard and long hours, perseverance, and a high level of confidence. RAINE: What wellness tips do you swear by? LISA: Massages, meditation, and regular self-

care, and exercise.

RAINE: What major project coming up are you most excited about? LISA: My book, Becoming a Fashion Designer (Wiley), which was first published worldwide in 2013, will be publishing this year in Arabic, after being published in Mandarin in 2015. RAINE: Who have been the most memorable

people you have worked alongside and why?

LISA: The most memorable people that I

have worked with were the talented designers and the entire team at Ralph Lauren. When I worked at their headquarters on Madison Avenue in New York, I was able to not only be in design meetings with Ralph himself, but work alongside the top design directors in the business. It was inspiring, super motivating, and an all-around wonderful experience!

RAINE: Word to the wise: What advice would you lend to a budding talent on the rise in your chosen field? LISA: As a fashion designer, you must always stick to your vision. Competition is fierce and there are a lot of naysayers in the world of fashion, but if you stick to your aesthetic and boldly and fiercely step in the direction of your vision without letting anyone sway you on a different path, you will be successful and eventually find your authentic and true voice. RAINE: How have you overcome the setbacks,

letdowns and obstacles of your career?

LISA: We have a tendency to get into

a defensive mode of protection when something doesn’t turn out as planned or we come across an obstacle that we were not anticipating. However, I have always thought it was important to step back and assess what part you may have played in the setback. Was it something you could have prevented? Was it something you can learn from or prevent in the future? I believe if you truly have confidence in yourself, you can do this easier and you may discover that you are getting in your own way or that you can be doing something differently

that will allow you to meet your intended goals quicker and more efficiently. Our setbacks make us strong and help us gain confidence to never give up! RAINE: Describe yourself in five words or less. LISA: Steadfast, passionate, empathetic,

reliable, and honest.

RAINE: What has been the most valuable tool

in your arsenal of apps, gadgets or software?

LISA: Asana! I manage the launches of many

emerging fashion brand clients at the same time, each of whom are at a different stage in the launch process. Asana is a project management tool that allows my client, myself, and my team to track each step in the process, see when tasks are due, assign tasks to different team members, and stay on schedule. RAINE: Are there any plans to partner with

a major celebrity, brand or organization in the future? If so, who is on your HOT list? LISA: My company has launched a celebrity division called Launch Your Collection Celebrity, after being approached by several people from The Bachelor and Real Housewives franchises. We hope to partner with various celebrities and public figures to expand their brand portfolios within the fashion sector. RAINE: Regarding fashion, what would you

describe as your signature “look”?

LISA: I have always had an appreciation for

high-end designer clothes, so my signature look can best be described as Emilio Pucci meets Valentino (when Valentino himself was designer). RAINE: What is your favorite city for work and play and why? LISA: My favorite city is New York. There are endless opportunities to work for the top names in American fashion in the New York fashion industry, that provide some of the best career opportunities in the world! In terms of culture, nothing beats New York. Aside from attending star-studded black-tie events, you are also close to some of the greatest museums, restaurants, and things to do on the planet. When I lived on the Upper East Side, I was within walking distance of The Frick Museum, which always had the most glorious exhibits – especially the Marie Antoinette collection, which featured her furnishings, jewelry, and art. Walking alongside these items, you can’t help but to be whisked away back to the 18th century in all its gold and glory!

ME TIME

PHOTOGRAPHED BY VITAL AGIBALOW FOR HENSEL MAKEUP BY KATE ROMANOFF FOR MACÂ HAIR BY ORIBE MODEL GABRIELA ILIESKU

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SPRING IS HERE THE CORNER AND … ITS TIME TO UPDATE YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE TRYING SOMETHING NEW

START USING HYDRATING MIST FOR REFRESHING, RESTORING AND TONING SKIN AS WELL AS EXTENDING WEAR OF MAKEUPâ&#x20AC;¦ TRY ENERGIZED ORGANIC FROM AEOS

BEST WAY TO TREAT SIGNS OF FATIGUE OR AGING WITH UNDER EYE PATCHES. PRINCESS EYE PATCHES FROM KOCOSTAR CAN BE USED DAILYÂ

FOR GENTLY SMOOTHING, RE-TEXTURIZING AND SOFTENING SKIN, START USING A PEEL OFF MASK AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK… LIKE ONE FROM TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL

MA KI NG IN CLUS IVE FAS HIONA B LE T H E

S H A I N H O U S E

G R O U P

PAMEL A S HAIN HO US E, PRE S I D E NT A ND CO - FO U ND E R O F A L L I S T YL E I NC .

PAME LA S H A I N H O US E along with her late daughter Alli Shapiro co-

founded “Allistyle Inc.” in 2006 because of the lack of great clothing for the plus-size market. Sadly, Alli passed in 2006 from a battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. By 2012, Pamela had achieved notoriety by building Allistyle into full collections in all sizes, small to 3X. Allistyle was produced in Toronto, Canada, from sustainable fabric - these three factors were unheard of at that time. Allistyle was the only curvy line to show at IMG MasterCard Toronto Fashion Week in 2012. 24

Pamela is now President of The Shainhouse Group which is a full-service fashion strategy and consulting company specializing in the plus-size market with a specialty in inclusivity within the fashion marketplace. 68% of North American women are a size 14+ (with an average of 16-18) and they are not being given the opportunities as mainstream fashion. In 2016, it was evaluated as market worth $22 Billion.

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RAINE: From an early age your love for fundraising, voluntarism flourished allowing you to begin a business without any formal education. Can you describe your experiences and how they helped fine-tune your craft? PAMELA: I was brought up in a traditional Jewish family where one did not aim for a life of education and work, but a life where you got married, had children and volunteered for a living. I did just that. I was a high-profile Jewish volunteer in a few charities. I was not someone who stayed home and solely took care of her kids. I have always loved to learn the skills that were needed to sell. My experience in fundraising came directly from my voluntarism. To tell you the truth, my first large position in fundraising was as a Director of Development, Public Relations and Marketing at a Hospital in Toronto, Canada. I was told that I beat out people who had been in the business for years. What I remember vividly was my first day at work. I walked into my office filled with gorgeous brand new furniture, shut the door and started to cry. I had no clue what to do. Professional development as a career is very different from fundraising as a volunteer. I learned very quickly, and the first year brought in my first $500,000 donation for the refurbishment of the hospital’s emergency ward. RAINE: How would you describe a creative entrepreneur in your own words? PAMELA: I believe that in order to succeed in the world of entrepreneurship you have to be creative.The world is moving so quickly that in order to keep up, you have to recreate yourself constantly. I know that I am learning every day, and if I did not have a creative mind I could never keep up. I know that as a “seasoned or senior” entrepreneur (and I am referring to age), I have to learn social media apps with a brain that does not compute. I find that my creativity leads me in the right direction. In the world of fashion, especially with the niche that I am an expert in, I use my creativity to move forward in my business. Clients hire me because of my ability to creatively advise them on how to bring in strategies that focus on size inclusivity and diversity. 2019 is dubbed the year of inclusivity and diversity, especially in the fashion marketplace. If a retailer or designer is not strategically integrating the curve market, they are missing the boat. Creativity can come in so many forms, but to me the most important form is when entrepreneurs focus on their niche market and really listen to their listen. You have to listen and act. RAINE: What three traits do you feel are most needed to pursue entrepreneurship? PAMELA: Authenticity, creativity and leadership. RAINE: Have you ever faced the issue of burnout in your career? If so, how did you overcome it? PAMELA: I have been an entrepreneur for my whole business life. I was born with a hereditary bone disease where working for myself was the way I knew I could adapt, if anything happened to me. Of course, I burned out! I burned out a number of times. Unfortunately, I was not a quick learner and instead of realizing that I was burning out, I just kept on going. Once I finally learned that I was on the verge of a burn out and break down, I treated myself to a burn out vacation. I went to a place where the phone and internet didn’t work well and I rested. When you work for yourself, your brain never turns off. I find that the hardest about being an entrepreneur. So, I would beg entrepreneurs to slot in a vacation a minimum of once a year. It doesn’t matter if you go away, all that matters is that you put a message on your phone telling everyone that you are not available.Your clients will figure it out and wait until you return. I used to feel that my company was going to go up in smoke if I was away, and guess what, it doesn’t! All will be exactly where you left it when you return. The good part is that when you return, you will be much better and will start with a clear mind. RAINE: What wellness tips do you swear by? PAMELA: Unclutter your life Exercise Meditate (I really believe in that as I meditate when I wake up and when I go to sleep) Journal (I just wish I was dedicated to that, and I am trying to get much better, because when I do journal, I am so much calmer) Make sure you stop looking at your computer after a certain time. I personally log off at 7:00PM. I also wait a minimum of half hour in the morning before I look at my email. My morning routine is meditate, coffee, email I organize my day, the evening before. My clothes are ready and I know what my calendar is. I make sure that my bag is ready to go I read a lot. I read both fiction and non-fiction. I have a cottage summer home, and that is my refuge.

RAINE: What major project coming up are you most excited about? PAMELA: What is most exciting for me now is the launch of my business, The Shainhouse Group. I am an expert in the field of curve fashion, size inclusivity and diversity in fashion. I am so excited to be working with retailers and designers, showing them the strategies necessary to be a part of the world of acceptance of all women in fashion. I work with retailers, designers and fashion companies, and I love this field. I can take all of the experience I have garnered and help people get better. RAINE: Word to the wise: What advice would you lend to a budding talent on the rise in your chosen field? PAMELA: I would advise them to never do it on your own. Being a sole proprietor is so difficult. It gets really tough if you get sick and have no one to keep the business going. This happened to me with my company Allistyle. I got really ill for four years, and the company was put on the back burner, probably permanently. One more lesson that I learned the hard way was to not use your own funds. I did use my own personal funds and things did not end up the way I would have hoped. Designers, who start off, really need to get outside funding. When you have outside funding, you do not feel as alone. RAINE: We love transformation. If you experienced a personal or professional evolution, what was the inspiration behind it how have people reacted? PAMELA: The loss of my daughter Alli in 2006, transformed my life completely. My work as a president of a charity for young adult cancer patients, Alli’s Journey, (www. allisjourney.ca), gave me an added perspective on how tough it is to be a young adult in the Canadian healthcare system. My daughter Alli was also the co-founder of Allistyle. Allistyle started because of a void in the plus-size market at that time. My daughter was a fashion-forward funky dresser, and when she gained 80 pounds during her treatment, there was nothing that she would wear here in Canada. I took her dream and her legacy and moved it into the world of fashion. We were the only brand to have a curvy runway show at Toronto Fashion Week, October 2012. RAINE: What are your superpowers? How have they helped you excel? PAMELA: I can read people from the minute I meet them. Whenever I have a decision to make, I always have to follow my gut, because my gut is never wrong. RAINE: What has been the most valuable tool in your arsenal of apps, gadgets or software? PAMELA: VoiceMemos, Texture Magazine App, Medium, FaceApp. RAINE: Are there any plans to partner with a major celebrity, brand or organization in the future? If so, who is on your HOT list? PAMELA: I am already partnered with Whitney Thompson, the sole winner of America’s Next Top Model. The rest is a secret! RAINE: In regards to your unique selling advantage, explain how you made the choice to break the mold? PAMELA: My fashion brand Allistyle was 10 years ahead of the time. We honored all women, no matter what size; we were made in Canada, from sustainable viscose from bamboo. I am now taking everything that I did years ago, and moving forward as a strategist. That is definitely breaking the mold. There is no one that I know of doing what I am doing. This is the way of the land in fashion, and I am going to work to get the marketplace to understand. RAINE: Do your fashion choices affect your success in meetings or pitches? PAMELA: Absolutely. I always dress appropriately when I am in a business setting. I am always dressed comfortably yet classy. My recommendation is to always dress the way you feel, beautiful and confident. RAINE: Who have been some of your fashion role models that have inspired your current style? PAMELA: I haven’t thought about that. The first person that comes to thought is Audrey Hepburn and Lauren Bacall. I am a very classic dresser and I always loved their clothing choices. I now love the work of Marc Jacobs and Christian Siriano. I have to be honest, that now that there are luxury designers, my eyes are wide open. Loving the website www.11honore.com. Their support of curve women is remarkable. I am a size 14, and I have never seen myself as a plus woman. I only see myself, as someone who is simply a size 14.

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EYES on YOU PHOTOGRAPHED by VITAL AGIBALOW for HENSEL Styling @ibizaNYC MakeUp by KATE ROMANOFF for MAC cosmetics Hair by ORIBE Manicure by STATIC nails 26

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Rejection along your career path is only a mindset. Every ‘no’ brings you closer to your ‘yes’. -Nova Lorraine

C U LT U R E

E AT. S TAY. C H I L L

WELCOME TO

MALDIVES B Y

T R A V E L U X E

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O F F I C I A L

POISED ON AN AWE-INSPIRING ENCLAVE IN BAA ATOLL, A UNESCO BIOSPHERE RESERVE, VAKKARU MALDIVES IS A LUSH TROPICAL HABITAT WHERE PRIVACY AND PERSONALISED SERVICE ABOUND, ALLOWING YOU TO EXPERIENCE AN AUTHENTIC ISLAND GETAWAY AMIDST ONE OF THE MOST DESIRABLE DESTINATIONS ON EARTH. A SCENIC 25-MINUTE SEAPLANE FLIGHT FROM MALE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TRANSPORTS YOU INTO AN UNFORGETTABLE PARADISE INTUITIVELY DESIGNED TO SOOTHE THE SOUL AND CALM THE SPIRIT. IN KEEPING WITH THE RUSTIC CHARMS OF MALDIVIAN CULTURE, ALL 125 BEACH AND OVER WATER VILLAS AND SUITES HAVE AN EARTHY YET ELEGANT AESTHETIC, OFFERING AN INCREDIBLE SENSE OF SPACE AND STUNNING OCEAN VIEWS. THE RESORT OFFERS FOUR RESTAURANTS, TWO BARS, AN EXTENSIVE DIVE AND WATER SPORTS CENTRE, OVER WATER SPA AND GYM, KIDS CLUB AND RECREATION CLUB, TENNIS COURTS AND A BADMINTON COURT. LET THE TIMELESS ALLURE OF THE MALDIVES WELCOME YOU IN, AS YOU DISCOVER THE WARMTH AND AFFECTION OF ITS PEOPLE IN THIS IDYLLIC ISLAND RETREAT. HTTPS://WWW.VAKKARUMALDIVES.COM *ALL PHOTOS WERE ALL SHOT ON LOCATION AT VAKKARU IN THE MALDIVES.

ABOUT TRAVELUXE OFFICIAL EMILY LOCKARD-FURRYÂ FOUNDED TRAVELUXE OFFICIAL, A LUXURY TRAVEL CONCIERGE FIRM BASED IN BEAUMONT, TEXAS, SERVING CLIENTELE WORLDWIDE. A TEXAS NATIVE WITH A LOVE OF TRAVELING, EMILY RECOGNIZED THE NEED FOR A TRAVEL CONCIERGE SERVICE IN THE DESTINATION WEDDING INDUSTRY. FROM THERE, TRAVELUXE OFFICIAL WAS BORN. EMILY SPENDS MOST OF HER TIME VISITING NEW PROPERTIES AROUND THE WORLD SO SHE CAN PERSONALLY ADVISE CLIENTS BASED ON FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE. WWW.TRAVELUXEOFFICIAL.COM

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MAGAZINE

RAINE INSPIRE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS [I.C.E]

H O L L Y W O O D

I S S U E

VOL 19

QUARTERLY

VOL 25 FASHION.CULTURE.TECHNOLOGY

STYLE ISSUE

PRIYANKA CHOPRA’S TAKING OVER! THE SERIOUS PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS SIMPLIFYING BUSINESS FINANCING HI-CAN’S $57,000 HI-TECH BED HOLLYWOOD HEALTHY

T H E

W O R L D ’ S

M O S T

F A S H I O N A B L E

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D ESIGN

A 3500-ACRE CALIFORNIA RANCH WITH ROOTS TO THE KING OF SPAIN

Photo Credit: Matthew Momberger

CALIFORNIA RANCH HAS TIES TO KING OF SPAIN & JOHN TRAVOLTA! From 18th-century Spain to modern-day rocket silos, Santa Barbara’s Gaviota Coast is overflowing with history, beautiful quiet beaches, and the state’s most expensive ranch. Originally farmed by the Chumash Indians, El Rancho Tajiguas was part of the great rancho development of Spain’s King Carlos, III. And in modern celebrity history, a portion was once owned by John Travolta. Purchased in the early 1980s by the TAG Group Limited as a corporate retreat, the 3,500-acre ranch with its recently built two ocean-facing, Spanish-style villas is for sale, priced at $110 million. TAG Group, former owner of the luxury watch brand TAG Heuer, bought the original land in the 1980s and continued to add parcels, including buying 16 acres with an historic hacienda from John Travolta in 1988 (which portion is not included in the current offering). After maxing their acreage purchases at 3,500 acres and agriculturally developing some of the land, they built two villas in 2014 and 2015 keeping in the Spanish style of architecture and sited with unobstructed panoramic views of the Pacific. With so much acreage, room to roam and inspiring views, it was a perfect retreat location for TAG’s harried executives and subsidiaries. After reevaluating some years later, TAG finds they are not using the ranch as much as anticipated and have put it on the market. With an interest in sustainable agriculture, the Group has cultivated the land to the highest standards. The two estate homes measure 10,000 square feet and 12,000 square feet and each includes five bedrooms, guesthouses, swimming pools, theaters, wine cellars and helipads. Other improvements include an additional 20 structures: a ranch managers house, staff and farming equipment, hundreds of acres of avocado groves, a persimmon orchard and grazing land for a herd of 120 head of cattle. El Rancho Tajiguas is a largely undeveloped ranch with some of the most stunning ocean views in the state. Considering the vastness of its 3,500-acre size, it is surprisingly close to the cultural centers of Montecito and Santa Barbara and only a hop from one of the two helicopter pads to the Santa Barbara airport. Priced at $110 million, the listing agents are Marco Naggar and Aaron Kirman of Compass, Los Angeles and Randy Solakian of Coldwell Banker Global Luxury, Montecito.

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A R T

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I M PA C T I N G LIVES THROUGH TOKENIZED ART

Kay Gamby approaches the design of her blockchain-powered social impact artwork with a feminine and detailed aesthetic. As an artist, she creates visual experiences for people who embrace both the classical and the whimsical, exploring fashion and social issues from a colorful point of view. Based out of her Village studio in New York City, she creates paintings seen around the world, from Richard Branson’s house on his island in BVI, to tech company offices in Africa - with each work tied to a specific cause in the interest of social good. Kay Gamby was one of the first ever artists to tokenize her paintings on the blockchain, allowing for safe and reliable tracking of sales and associated donations. Each work is initially assigned to be paired with a specifically chosen charity or social cause – for example, an ocean impact painting will be permanently tied to an ocean charity, while a Nelson Mandela painting is linked to a children’s charity in South Africa. Each time one of her tokenized paintings changes hands, a portion of the sale is automatically transferred to the painting’s lifelong partner charity, for as long as the artwork exists. Pairing art with technology, she creates “living” paintings that continue to make a tangible impact on the world long after they’ve left her gallery.

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G I V IN G

BACK

OXYGEN WITH NICOLE (O2N) A D VA N C I N G C A R I B B E A N C R E AT I V E E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P

The Oxygen with Nicole (O2N) motivational series triumphantly took its platform to New York. A celebration of Caribbean talent, it was forging its ethos, backed by game changers and influencers, in the busy metropolis. O2N has had successful runs in the Caribbean region, promoting creative enterprise while harnessing movers and shakers to share their stories with an enthusiastic and receptive audience. The attendees holistically experienced these anecdotes as case studies for New World methodologies of confronting a socio-economic reality and of fostering identity-branding resilience. The O2N Foundation is a non-profit organization taking up the mantle to advance Caribbean creative entrepreneurship and foster authentic story-telling as a reclaiming of the “Griot” oral tradition that has historically motivated generations of social actionists. This indigenous access to soul-inspiring testimony is reverberating the world over, as an organic conduit to influencing and shaping leadership and development - all in the interest of social transformation. The Foundation is chaired by the dynamic Nicole Dyer-Griffith and moderated by the charismatic Richard Young. Both bring to bear an

immense wealth of expertise. The former, has a background in politics and government, corporate communications, human resource management, nursing and protocol. The latter, known as the Caribbean fashion guru is as an advocate of the Caribbean aesthetic and has worked tirelessly motivating creatives, from the West Indies to North America. He has been acknowledged consistently for his mission of exporting creative industry services and his vision of fostering inter-regional cultural industry development. Both Nicole and Richard see regional identity affirmation as pivotal in making a Caribbean stamp, international. Mr. Young moderated the O2N New York event which hosted about 100 guests and 6 panellists with Caribbean roots: Her Excellency Penelope Beckles-Robinson, Raine Magazine’s Nova Lorraine, Tech Entrepreneur Gillian Harding, Designer Felisha Noel, Celebrity Hairstylist Tish Celestine, and International Makeup Artist Kirk Cambridge-Delpeshe. The event closed with an inspirational fashion show, by The Cloth, designed by Robert Young, a notable designer in the Caribbean region.

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Let your inner compass guide you. It knows more than you know. -Nova Lorraine

F R E S H FAC E S

Photos by Rowan Daly

M U SIC

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WENGIE F RO M P OW ER PUF F G I R LS TO INTERNATIONA L P OP STAR One of Australia’s most influential YouTube Stars and personalities, Wengie’s unique ability to deliver vibrant, informative, and highly-relatable content (including her wildly popular life “hacks” series) to a global audience—with signature quirk and humor—keeps her zealous ‘Wengiecorns’ wanting more. This unparalleled closeness and trust with her fans has cemented Wengie’s power as a leading content collaborator for both high-profile and emerging brands. Wengie has leveraged her prominence on YouTube to tackle other creative realms—she recorded her first music album in China in 2017 and is the voice of the fourth “Powerpuff Girl” on the Cartoon Network. Wengie’s music releases have skyrocketed to the top of the charts with her single ‘Oh I Do’ hitting #5 on the Honggebang charts in China. Between that and Wengie’s freshmen and sophomore US releases, “Oh I Do,” “Cake,” and “Déjà vu,” have accumulated nearly 25 million views on YouTube and counting. Following those, Wengie dropped her holiday anthem “Ugly Christmas Sweater” song, which hit the #1 spot on YouTube’s trending list and garnered nearly two million views in its first day, and 8.2 million to date. And most recently, Wengie released “Lace Up,” a girl power theme song that was released in conjunction with International Women’s Day which accumulated over 1.5 million views in its opening day on YouTube (March 2019). Wengie aims to bring positivity and fun to music, and she does just that with her music. Wengie has always loved pop music and R & B. For the majority of her life, she has had multicultural musical taste, listening to mainly J-pop, C-pop, and K-pop. She would learn lyrics to the songs having no idea what she was singing but still would be able to sing it by just memorizing it. Wengie’s main goal in music is to create fun music that is “east meets west” / K-Pop-fused-with-American-pop, which is essentially all the things she loves. Her musical influences include BLACKPINK, ITZY, Hyuna, Arianna Grande and Taylor Swift. Wengie is managed by RARE Global, music by Asian Agent, and her agency is UTA. 60

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RAINE: From an early age your love for

flourished allowing you to. Can you describe your experiences and how they helped fine-tune your craft? WENGIE: From an early age, I was really obsessed with music. All through primary (elementary) school, me and the radio were inseparable, I would listen to the music countdowns every night, I would know who was topping the charts every week and to this day, I still remember way too many lyrics of 90’s pop songs. I had always been attracted to fun inspiring music and that’s why I’m inspired to create that again. I don’t find a lot of 90’s pop sounding tracks out there these days so I’m really excited to combine that style with Asian-Pop music to create a unique sound!

them that has been tried and tested and runs smoothly, this allows everyone to know what their role is and the machine runs smoothly and

allows the artist to concentrate completely in their craft without worrying too much about everything else. Being a new media entrepreneur,

RAINE: What’s been a funny behind the scenes moment that you could share? WENGIE: On the set of my Christmas song “Ugly Christmas Sweater” we actually decided that it would be a great opportunity to take on a whole music video project ourselves. So, this ended up with us deciding to make presents out of our moving boxes that we had a pile of at home and painting them in our living room! We spent a whole week doing this and my cats decided to get in on the fun and rub themselves on the freshly painted boxes! LOL. We had very colorful cats during that week! And new tip I discovered, if you ever need to get dried acrylic paint off wooden floorboards, use rubbing alcohol! It works like a treat! RAINE: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself 5 years ago? WENGIE: I had always been taught that your career and work should never feel “fun”. I was given this image of “hard work”, “responsibilities” and “sacrifice”, kind of like an adult matter to look after your family and mortgage. I would have told myself that of course there will be challenges and times when things feel too difficult, but also your work should feel inspiring, it should make you feel like you have a fire inside that makes you want to make a difference. It’s also ok if you don’t feel that way to do something else, even if you did spend the past 10 years building up to this thing that you now don’t enjoy, you’re able to learn and as long as your able to, you can always do something else. RAINE: How would you describe a creative

entrepreneur in your own words?

WENGIE: Being a creative entrepreneur is

something I continually struggle with on a daily basis. It’s interesting though that the new breed of digital entrepreneur that has emerged with the internet and new media like YouTube is very different to your traditional celebrity entrepreneur. As I’m going on this music journey, I’m discovering new differences every day. First and most obvious difference is that traditional celebrities have had a system built around R A I N E M AG A Z I N E - VO L U M E 3 3

most of us built our business from the ground up, we’ve done everything from filming ourselves to editing to our own social media, accounting admin, and even answering our own emails pretending we have a manager when we don’t so we can sound more important (yup, we’ve all done this in the early days). We are expected to wear a lot more hats and therefore the struggle is making time for our actual creative craft. When you do make time for your craft, sometimes you start to see your business ship sinking, and so the continued challenge for myself is keeping both afloat without one suffering. You have to learn to multi-task and surround yourself with good people you can trust. RAINE: If you had to relate what you do to sports, how would you describe how you have followed, changed or distributed the game? WENGIE: I’m not very well-versed in sports so I’m very sorry if I get any analogies wrong! But I believe what I’ve contributed so far in the content space is being able to take a category of content and create an engine that produces it in the highest quality and most time efficient way. I remember early on in my career I was presented a challenge by one of my friends and he said no YouTube personality has been able to take traditional production concepts, that is shooting a season of content in 2 weeks. At the time, I was barely making my weekly schedule, and most YouTubers I knew were struggling with the same thing, meaning we couldn’t take any time off unless we wanted to take a break on my YouTube channel. I was determined to make this happen and after 2 years of nutting out our processes, we produced the exact same quality of content but we can shoot a whole years’ worth in 3 months, with no huge drop in quality. When traditional industry people see our videos, they are extremely impressed with how efficient we are and of course our budgets are much, much lower than traditional industry production and we do it much quicker. We now produce 17 videos weekly throughout our networks of channels and now looking to up this to 20 soon as we get better and better with our processes. Winning the digital landscape is really about training this muscle since the demand for content is so frequent and the earnings and budgets are a fraction of what traditional get. RAINE: If someone asked you how could they stimulate their creativity, what advice would you give? WENGIE: I believe creativity comes from limitations. I am the least creative when I’m given a ton of space. But the best innovations come from the toughest of problems. Be specific on what you are trying to solve, because good creativity is solving a problem, whether it be an emotional problem, a cultural problem or even just a simple problem of novelty. RAINE: What three traits do you feel are most 62

needed to pursue entrepreneurship?

energy.

just need one. In my opinion the most important trait is the ability to be coached. I believe intelligence is over-rated, I know so many people that know a lot of things but do nothing and that has never helped them achieve anything of value. Conversely, I know people that are definitely not great on paper but because they learn to execute anything and everything they read up on and then see what the result is, they get further a lot quicker, and this creates experience, not just knowledge. The quicker you move from learning something to doing it, the more effective you’ll be. You’ll fail a lot of times but all you need is one thing to work. Right now, you can find out how to do anything online, so if you’re willing, you’re able to learn. I even taught myself how to code a website, install a magneto e-commerce site and run a drop shipping business from the internet with no prior online experience, I was an accountant!

RAINE: What do you want to be when you grow up? Has this stayed the same or changed throughout the years? WENGIE: My secret is I’ve always wanted to be a Spice Girl, but I think I’ve come to the fact that I’m never going to be recruited (you know the world tour is happening and I didn’t get a call) so I’ll just have to settle for being Wengie. But in all seriousness, I’ve wanted to be too many things, from being a robot pilot saving the world to a hairdresser, counselor, graphics designer. I guess being an entrepreneur means you have to be all these things, so I think I found the perfect career (minus robot pilot).

WENGIE: I don’t think you need three traits, you

RAINE: Have you ever faced the issue of burnout in your career? If so, how did you overcome it? WENGIE: I think I’m burning out right now! Hahaha, I have suffered from terrible burn-out before and I realized it was because I didn’t take the time to prioritize or really find out what’s important to me. I was running so hard and fast I didn’t take any chance to step back and so ended up trying to do everything. Big mistake. It was also a result of me achieving my goals so quickly that I didn’t have time to reestablish a new goal, and that’s where I went wrong. I see lots of my peers get lost and I realized it was because of the same thing. Things online can move fast, which means from failure to success can also happen in such a short time span. I remember my channel grew almost a million subscribers a month at one point that the Australian Managing Director of YouTube was even shocked by my numbers, combine this with the fact that my LIFETIME goal was to hit 1 million subscribers, you can see why I didn’t know what my next goal was. So now whenever I start to feel overwhelmed, I take a look again at what I’m doing and assess if I am doing anything that I don’t truly love believe in and doesn’t contribute to my greater goal and see what I can remove. Oh, and take a bath and do a face mask - works wonders. RAINE: What wellness tips do you swear by? WENGIE: I’m a huge skincare fanatic, so I when

I’m travelling, I use face masks every night! It’s made a huge difference especially because now I realize how different it is when I don’t do that. Also face massaging does wonders and I have a hand-held massage and RF emitting face tool that really does lift up your skin and gets rid of bloating dramatically. It’s by Ya-Man and was rated one of Japan’s top beauty tools. On top of every day, I make sure to drink some red ginseng tea which helps you fight inflammation and gives you R A I N E M AG A Z I N E - VO L U M E 3 3

RAINE: What major project coming up are you most excited about? WENGIE: I’m most excited about my music project! We’re doing a global EP project and collaborating with musicians from all around the world to promote diversity. I love a good challenge and to learn about something I know nothing about, whether it’s a language a culture or even a whole new industry like music. It’s also very exciting not knowing what it’s going to shape into because I’m still finding my style and my sound but what I most value out of this journey is showing my audience the whole process of building it to show them what’s possible and hopefully to inspire them to tackle something they’ve never done before! RAINE: Word to the wise: What advice would

you lend to a budding talent on the rise in your chosen field? WENGIE: One thing I would say is “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”. I hear so many of my audience say how they really want to do something, but they aren’t talented enough at it, so they feel insecure about even starting. This absolutely breaks my heart because I truly believe if you want something, even if you had no talent you can do it with enough hard work and commitment. I think the creative industry in general focuses exclusively on talent, they use that word so commonly that it makes people think that you need to be naturally gifted in some way to be part of it. I remember this is something that I struggled with going into the music industry, I am in no way naturally gifted but I decided to power through to show people you can do it if you just put enough hours in. The most important thing is to start, learn and practice and if you don’t give up, you’ll get somewhere eventually but at least you know you tried your best. I hope people can follow my journey of improvement and be inspired to take on something that scares them too. RAINE: What is your viewpoint of failure and

how best to deal with it?

WENGIE: Failure is a part of life. I believe you

can’t win at everything but that’s fine. I also think

experiencing failure is like a muscle you need to build. The first time it is really tough, the second time still feels bad, but experience enough and it becomes less painful and you move on quicker. It’s the same as dealing with hate comments online, that’s also a muscle I had to build quickly. The first time I got internet hate I was upset for six months, then it turned into three months, one month, and now I’m at a point where it stings for a second and then I move on. Trust me, it still hurts but you get better at handling it when you realize that past the failure or hurt, it gets better. RAINE: Describe yourself in five words or less. WENGIE: I’m who I am today. I believe one

certainty in life is change and so it’s important to just focus on who you are today and not who you were before, allow yourself the freedom to improve and be another person if it’s what you want. RAINE: We

love transformation. If you experienced a personal or professional evolution, what was the inspiration behind it how have people reacted? WENGIE: I feel like I’ve transformed too many times to count. I was one of those kids that went through “phases” you know one minute I’m obsessed with the Spice Girls and everything I do will be Spice Girls related, next I’m into books and I’ve borrowed everything from the local library to read. I’m the same with life so I’ll commit to one thing and then I’ll change, and you’d think wait who is this? I believe it’s what makes life exciting so when I shifted from beauty and makeup to lifestyle hacks and now more fun challenge content there was a huge backlash and pushback from people that missed my beauty content. However, I was no longer passionate about making beauty content, so it was unfair for everyone for me to keep making it. At that stage, I had already made hundreds of beauty-related videos and it was just time to move on and learn something new. The new content type allowed me to learn more about camera angles and production and I got to play with a lot more video technical skills and allowed me to grow in that aspect. And now with music as well it’s allowing me to learn so many things I’ve never learned before so now is a new journey to get good at it.

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FI L M

T ELE VIS ON

A YOUNG FORCE IN FILM & TELEVISION

JONATHAN BENNET

THOUGH HIS STRIKING GOOD LOOKS

Photos by Brian To

may have made Jonathan Bennett an object of affection for the “plastics” in MEAN GIRLS, his talent and commitment are what have led to him becoming one of the most soughtafter young actors in Hollywood. Diversifying his talent, he just released a best-selling Mean Girls parody Burn Cookbook, became a fan favorite on DANCING WITH THE STARS and also demonstrated his hosting skills on MTV’s competition series COPYCAT, which helped pave the way to his latest turn as host of Food Network’s assortment of CAKE WARS specials inclusive of ratings powerhouse HALLOWEEN WARS, official host of Times Square’s New Year’s Eve Countdown, as well as his recent role with NBC’s Winter Olympic coverage. Additionally, he remained a part of the Viacom family with recurring arcs on VH1’s HIT THE FLOOR and MTV’s AWKWARD. Bennett’s first foray into a studio film was, in fact, Paramount’s smash hit MEAN GIRLS from producer Lorne Michaels and writer Tina Fey in which he starred opposite Lindsay Lohan. In the romantic comedy LOVEWRECKED for Weinstein Co., Bennett transitioned into the love interest of Amanda Bynes. He has since starred as Bo Duke in Warner Bros. prequel to THE DUKES OF R A I N E M AG A Z I N E - VO L U M E 3 3

winning ALL MY CHILDREN after less than a month of having moved from his native Ohio to New York City. No stranger to winning awards, Bennett took “Best Actor” honors at the 2003 Palm Beach International Film Festival for his lead role in the independent feature SEASON OF YOUTH. Originally from Ohio, Bennett currently resides in Los Angeles where he continues to hone his craft.

HAZZARD; the comedy romp BACHELOR PARTY VEGAS; as the title role of NATIONAL LAMPOON’S VAN WILDER: FRESHMAN YEAR, in FOX’s sequel to the hit comedy, CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, as Steve Martin’s antagonistic sonin-law; and next reunites with CHEAPER co-star Hilary Duff for THE HAUNTING of SHARON TATE. He most recently starred in Hallmark’s original Holiday film, CHRISTMAS MADE TO ORDER. Bennett executive produced and starred in the film AUTHORS ANONYMOUS opposite Kaley Cuoco. Continued to wear his producing hat as well as carry a supporting role in feature PAWN, with Ray Liotta and Academy Award-winner Forest Whitaker, starred in IFC Films’ dramatic thriller SUBMERGED, the comedy DO OVER, the crime thriller PAID IN FULL, the Lifetime telefilm ROMANTICALLY SPEAKING opposite GLEE star Heather Morris, the indie

drama DO YOU TAKE THIS MAN opposite Anthony Rapp, and the Hallmark original telefilm LOVE AT FIRST GLANCE opposite Amy Smart and Adrian Grenier. He previously reunited with MEAN GIRLS co-star Lacey Chabert in the Hallmark telefilm ELEVATOR GIRL, starred in the indie comedy THE ASSISTANTS, SLIGHTLY SINGLE IN L.A, the drama MEMORIAL DAY with James Cromwell, the thriller CATS DANCING ON JUPITER, the romantic comedy DIVORCE INVITATION opposite Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and lead role in Lifetime’s HOLIDAY HIGH SCHOOL REUNION. Outside of the occasional guest star role on the likes of SUPERGIRL, DECEPTION, CANE, Dick Wolf ’s LAW & ORDER: SVU, David E. Kelley’s BOSTON PUBLIC, SMALLVILLE and VERONICA MARS, Bennett’s first and only foray into series television was on the Emmy AwardR A I N E M AG A Z I N E - VO L U M E 3 3

RAINE: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself 5 years ago? JONATHAN: Get out of your own way. This isn’t a dress rehearsal. Life is happening right now. RAINE: What three traits do you feel are most needed to pursue entrepreneurship? JONATHAN: You have to love what you are doing. You have to really want it to happen and happen BIG. You need to know that fear is a liar. RAINE: Have you ever faced the issue of burnout in your career? If so, how did you overcome it? JONATHAN: Being an actor and entrepreneur is one of the most exhausting careers you can choose. Each day you are faced with rejection and the word “no.” Actors face more rejection in one year than most people do in a lifetime. What I have found is that you have to remember why you started doing this in the first place. When you’re having days that are miserable and you are having the door closed on your face multiple times in a row, you have to remember why you wanted to walk through that door in the first place. We want to be actors because we like entertaining people, touching the audience’s soul, and making them laugh or feel something. If you bring it back to that every time, it helps you keep going. RAINE: What wellness tips do you swear by? JONATHAN: Meditation, meditation, meditation. Nothing is more powerful than having a steady attitude of gratitude every single day. The more you have it, the more you get in life and when you start to focus on the things you don’t have, the universe takes everything away.

RAINE: What major project coming up are you most excited about? JONATHAN: “The Haunting of Sharon Tate” film with my co-star Hilary Duff. Her performance is amazing and the movie is great.

JONATHAN: Can I pet your dog? RAINE: If there was one thing you could have changed during your journey as a creative entrepreneur, what would it be and why? JONATHAN: I would have started pursuing many different things a lot earlier on. It’s not enough to be an actor anymore; you have to be multi-talented in many different arenas. RAINE: Talk about how technology has changed your industry for newcomers? JONATHAN: Social media and YouTube has changed the definition of “famous” and “talent”. RAINE: Regarding fashion, what would you

RAINE: Word to the wise: What advice would you lend to a budding talent on the rise in your chosen field? JONATHAN: Don’t do it. If you can become anything else other than an actor, do that instead. If there is any other job you can possibly do, focus on that and succeed. Whatever you do, do not…I repeat do not become an actor. It is the hardest, most emotionally draining career possible. It would make some of your days miserable and depressing AF. (Then if they still say they want to become an actor, it’s the perfect fit.) RAINE: How have you overcome the setbacks, let-downs and obstacles of your career? JONATHAN: It’s all about attitude, along with a little bit of luck and talent. Again, it goes back to waking up every day and wanting to be an actor, a host and an entertainer. I think one of the biggest things I did was change my dialogue about my work. I no longer say I have to go shoot “Cake Wars” tomorrow or I have to go shoot my movie tomorrow. Instead I say I get to go shoot “Cake Wars” or I get to be in a movie tomorrow. When you change your attitude and outlook on how blessed we are to have a job every single time we walk on set, that’s the Universe responding and giving you more than you could ever imagine. RAINE: Describe yourself in five words or less. 66

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describe as your signature “look”? JONATHAN: Anything by Tipsy Elves. They are my spirit animal of clothing. I’ve never seen a better partnership between who a person is and what a brand represents. I’m so excited to be launching my Pride Capsule line with them this summer. RAINE: What is the biggest problem that creative face today and how would you solve it? JONATHAN: I’d make everyone stop using social media for one year and see how much it changes the world. I can’t tell if it’s hurting or helping, to be honest. I see both sides.

Photos by Brent Webber

RAINE: What do you want to be when you grow up? Has this stayed the same or changed throughout the years? JONATHAN: I wanted to be a secret service agent. But then I realized it was just because they wear the cool walkie-talkies in their ears and that I didn’t want to actually do the work. Then I wanted to be a teacher. Then I realized I wanted to be an actor. I still teach things here and there, but as long as I’m in front of a group of people entertaining them, I’m happy.

F I L M

T ELEVIS ON

LISA DURUP T

B E C O M I N G A H A L L M A R K I N H O L LY W O O D

For award-winning actress Lisa Durupt, the road to a career in the entertainment industry was a bit unconventional. Growing up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada she was focused on playing ice hockey. Her skills on the ice earned her a scholarship to a college in the United States and she was intent on becoming an athletic therapist. But, when an injury sidelined her, Durupt chose to stay at home and enroll at the University of Winnipeg, a decision that would change the course of her life. After seeing a production of A Chorus Line for a class assignment, she discovered the magic of performing and opted to study Theatre and Film. She further honed her craft at the Canadian College of Performing Arts and went full steam ahead into pursuing a career in the arts. With her natural athleticism, Durupt first found success in the industry as a dancer and stunt performer in Shall We Dance. Her big acting break came when she caught the eye of Saturday Night Live and Kids in The Hall’s Mark McKinney, who was working on the HBO Canada series Less Than Kind. Durupt landed the role of Shandra and her portrayal would earn her a Gemini Award nomination as well as a Leo Award nomination over the course of the show’s four-year run. Since then, she has gone on to enjoy further success on the small screen. Durupt has cemented her status as a Hallmark fan-favorite with roles in several movies for the network. Among them are the Murder She Baked film series alongside Alison Sweeney,The Convenient Groom,The Perfect Catch, A Dream of Christmas, and The Chronicle Mysteries just to name a few. Other television credits include Supernatural and a recurring role on the hit drama Heartland. Durupt has also made her mark on the world of film. She starred alongside James Caan in Preggoland. The film made a name for itself on the festival circuit and earned her a second Leo Award nomination. Most recently, she was seen in Benchwarmers 2: Breaking Balls, opposite Jon Lovitz and Chris Klein. Durupt will next bring her talent to Breakthrough as Topher Grace’s wife. The film tells the inspiring true story of a boy who comes back to life after drowning in a lake. The all-star cast also includes Chrissy Metz, Sam Trammell, Mike Colter, and Josh Lucas. It hits theaters this Easter. Outside of acting, Durupt has taken her creative pursuits behind the camera. She opened Tricities Film Studio in Vancouver, which helps train actors with a unique sports-minded approach. She also serves as a producer for Kafka Pictures. A passionate philanthropist, she is a proud supporter of Hockey Helps the Homeless, a charitable organization which hosts tournaments across Canada to raise money for local homeless support agencies. Durupt currently resides in Vancouver with her husband and newborn daughter, Everly. LISA: From an early age my love for sports flourished allowing me to navigate the film industry with a sense of confidence and determination. RAINE: Can you describe your experiences and how they helped fine-tune your craft? LISA: I was a tomboy growing up and I loved to play sports. I also came from a very funny family where having fun and being playful was encouraged. When I ended up in a theatre class in university it all came together. Working as a team, practicing new skills daily, and always having to try-out for the next spot on a roster was suddenly applicable in a completely new way.The creative playful side of my personality that loved to paint and draw etc. could work side by side with the athletic business side of my brain. It was a match made in heaven. This led

me to take a stage combat class next and soon after I landed my first comedic role in a series. This led to working not only on the series, where they wrote in that my character was a stunt girl, but doing several stunt performance gigs for film and TV. All of this really helped me fine tune the way I look at acting, as a sports-minded approach. Athletes train, visualize, and watch footage of their game over and over again to get better. They never quit when things don’t go their way, they just go back to basics and work harder. They were not rejected. They just have to find a new way to succeed. I love that mindset and I think it is perfect for this industry. RAINE: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself 5 years ago? LISA: I would say enjoy making mistakes and falling on your face. The bigger the mistake, the quicker the learning curve. RAINE: How would you describe a creative entrepreneur in your own words? LISA: Someone who is passionate about their craft and is determined to build it into a viable business. RAINE: If you had to relate what you do to sports, how would you describe how you have followed, changed or distributed the game? LISA: There are so many lessons in sport that you can use in the film business. Practicing how you play, building a strategic game plan, understanding when you need to be a benchwarmer and when it is your turn to be the big star. Honestly the list is endless. I think the most important way I look at it is that it should be fun. Sports and acting are hard work but there is something about them both that should connect with our inner child and that is the idea of having fun. RAINE: What three traits do you feel are most needed to pursue entrepreneurship? LISA: Tenacity, passion, and a little luck. RAINE: Have you ever faced the issue of burnout in your career? If so, how did you overcome it? LISA: Sure. Last summer I was on a plane between three cities every 2-3 days for over five weeks. But I kept telling myself it was temporary and, by the end, I was really glad that I did it. I could not have imagined missing out on any of the amazing experiences within the chaos. I loved it. RAINE: Name your top three hacks for battling the loneliness of entrepreneurship. LISA: Speak up. Call, Facetime, text anyone you need to when you feel that way. So many people understand the feeling and when you need support, say so. It is amazing how helpful and caring even the most distant of acquaintances can be if you simply say “I feel a little lonely today”. As a society I think we need to honor ourselves more and not feel ashamed of it. Exercise is always a great option. Getting your body moving produces endorphins that can completely change your mood in minutes. Do something for yourself that you might not get to do very often. Treat yourself to a massage, read a great book with your favorite cup of tea, or take a much-needed nap. Pamper yourself and enjoy the well-deserved rest and relaxation you have earned.

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RAINE: What wellness tips do you swear by? LIAS: Mind over matter! You can pull out all the stops when it comes to fitness, eating healthy, meditation etc. but the most powerful thing you can do for your overall well-being is to work on maintaining a positive mindset.

Photos by Kristine Cofsky Photography

RAINE: What is your best advice in battling boredom in creative pursuits or creative entrepreneurship? LISA: I don’t think you ever get bored as a creative entrepreneur. I would argue you get restless or at times overwhelmed with the workload. There is always something new to tackle or take care of. I try to carve out a few minutes a day to myself where I shut off my phone, enjoy a coffee, and just breath. Refocusing is a daily requirement for success. RAINE: What major project coming up are you most excited about? LISA: My next big adventure is to take on the character of ‘New Mom’. I have a very tiny new little girl at home that I cannot kiss and hug enough. It is the best project I have ever been a part of and I cannot possibly explain just how excited I am about it. I also have a film coming out called Breakthrough. It is based on the true story of a boy who is brought back to life after drowning in a lake. I play Paula Noble, the wife of Pastor Jason Noble, who is played by Topher Grace. The cast also includes Chrissy Metz, Mike Colter, Sam Trammell, and Josh Lucas. It was so exciting to work on and I can’t wait for people to see it. Check it out in theaters this Easter. RAINE: Who have been the most memorable people you have worked alongside and why? LISA: Of all people, MC Hammer was a big one for me. He gave me wonderful entrepreneurial advice. “Find a way to be the one giving other people jobs and you will never be waiting by the phone.”

RAINE: Word to the wise: What advice would you lend to a budding talent on the rise in your chosen field? LISA: Take some basic business classes. Marketing, accounting, negotiating are all very important skills that will really help you understand ‘show business’. Knowledge is power. The creative side of the business is really only about 30% and you need to be the CEO of your business at all times. RAINE: How have you overcome the setbacks, letdowns and obstacles of your career? LISA: Just don’t give up. It is not fancy but it is that simple. Take 24 hours to re-focus and get back at it. True passion never lets you throw in the towel permanently. RAINE: What is your viewpoint of failure and how best to deal with it? LISA: I personally don’t look at anything as a pass/fail outcome. You live, you learn. I have always learned something from an experience that did not go as I had hoped. I take myself out for a Starbucks and shake it off. RAINE: Who have been some of your fashion role models that have inspired your current style? LISA: I have been a true Jennifer Aniston fan since I was 16. I love her ability to look stunning with her effortless looking style. RAINE: What is the biggest problem that creatives face today and how would you solve it? LISA: Over saturation. Creatives face pressure to put everything out into the world for people to see. Privacy is a lost art form. Less should be more, hopefully one day we will go back to that way of thinking!

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Photographer: Photos by Kristine Cofsky Photography Hair and Makeup: Allison Noelle @allisonnoellemakeup Outfit: Image by Buckley @imagebybuckley

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Lisa Linke A N

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Lisa Linke grew up Champaign, Illinois with her parents and brother. Linke is “Big Ten” educated, having attended Indiana University at Bloomington for her Undergraduate studies. After working in Atlanta for a few years, she returned to the University of Illinois, earning an MBA and a Masters in Labor and Employment Relations. During Grad School, Linke started doing improv to relieve stress from studying. After graduation, she began working as a consultant in Chicago for Deloitte and continued to foster her love for acting by formally training at The Second City. After being promoted to Senior Consultant, Linke made a life-changing decision to pursue her passion for acting full-time. She spent over a decade in Chicago performing, writing, teaching, and producing before moving to Los Angeles. Linke is known for her role on Successful People, a comedic web series about a songwriting duo struggling to make it big surrounded by a world full of successful people. She plays Kimberly Hawkes, a former high school classmate of the lead character, who attempts to help him jumpstart his career. The show is streaming now on Amazon Prime. Linke has also recurred on the television show Teachers. Other roles include guest spots on Black-ish, Modern Family, Shameless,This Is Us, Netflix’s LOVE, Bunk’d, Grey’s Anatomy and, most recently, For the People. Expanding her creative endeavors beyond acting, she co-created, wrote, produced, and starred in the web series Rick & Len Fix Sh!t In Your House. R A I N E M AG A Z I N E - VO L U M E 3 3

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Linke and the series have been honored with several awards including “Lead Actress” at The LAWebfest and “Overall Web Series” at the Chicago Comedy Film Festival. She is also known for her portrayal of Abby Lee’s equivalent, Waggy Lee, in Dog Moms - another web series she created. The series is a satirical parody of Lifetime’s Dance Moms.The show has gotten the attention of numerous critics, earning nominations at the New Media Film Festival and Austin Revolution Film Festival. Off-screen, Linke has continued to use her education and experience by working for several companies including The Second City’s B2B arm, Second City Works, where she traveled around the world teaching corporate communication workshops. In this work, she focused on leadership and showcased her expertise in storytelling, allowing her to apply her education, experience, and passion for performing. Linke also remains passionate about creating new content including the #SuggestionSundayShow, a weekly Instagram Live show where she invites special guests to perform improv with her based on viewer suggestions. Additionally, she recently teamed up with comedian Misty Stinnett to create the Go Help Yourself podcast, which reviews self-help books with a comedic twist. It is available on iTunes. When she is not acting and creating content, Linke loves to spend time with her two rescue dogs, Wrigley and Zoey. She also enjoys hosting game nights with her friends. Linke currently resides in Los Angeles. 71

RAINE: From an early age your love for being dramatic flourished allowing you to become comfortable as the center of attention Can you describe your experiences and how they helped fine-tune your craft? LISA: Sure! My Mom’s best friend always used to call me Sarah Bernhardt, because everything was so dramatic with me. I would march into the dining room where the adults were having supper club and announce what drastic thing my brother had done to offend me. They always got a kick out of it, and I loved the attention.

LISA: In Hollywood, they say you only need two of three things to be successful: luck, talent, and perseverance. Any combination of the two will help you find success, it just may take longer with some combinations. For me, I think knowing what you can control and having an ability to focus on that is paramount. I can’t control luck, so you can be damn sure that I’m working on my talent and making sure I can grit it out. Other than awareness and grit, I think you have to really believe in what you’re doing. Otherwise people can see right through that.

RAINE: What’s been a funny behind the scenes moment that you could share? LISA: When I was on the set of Modern Family, Chris Martin was in that episode. He kept playing his guitar between takes, and once he played “The Girl From Ipanema”, and one of the crew sang the entire song in Portuguese! After that, it was really hard to go back to work that day because it was super special. Also, he is truly the nicest person in the world.

RAINE: Have you ever faced the issue of burnout in your career? If so, how did you overcome it? LISA: Of course! Who doesn’t? As an actor and a creative, you hear “no” more than you hear “yes”. I chose a profession where I will be unemployed more often than employed. But I don’t have control over that, so I focus on what I can control: my craft, my skills, and creating my own content. Nothing prevents me from making what I want to make, just for me. Nothing prevents me from getting in a class or rehearsing with talented people. It’s all about process, not product. If I measured success and happiness with product, it would be a very unhappy life.

RAINE: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself 5 years ago? LISA: Keep your eyes on your own paper, and don’t worry about what other people are doing – your path is your own. RAINE: How would you describe a creative entrepreneur in your own words? LISA: After reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic, I think of the word “creative” as redundant to describe humans. We are by our very nature creative! When people use the phrase “creative entrepreneur”, I think what they mean is someone who brings art to the world of business, or finds a way to tailor their unique point of view to the work that they do or the medium or process they use to do the work. RAINE: If you had to relate what you do to sports, how would you describe how you have followed, changed or distributed the game? LISA: As an improviser, people often ask what we do in rehearsal, because isn’t it all made up? And it is! We often explain it like a basketball game. No one knows what exactly will happen within the game itself, but there are basic parameters, and the players on the team need to run drills and endurance and form group cohesion to think like a team. Do they know exactly what will happen at the 13-minute mark? Nope. But rehearsing will allow them to react best in the moment to whatever does happen. Being an improviser has allowed me to shift gears in the moment rather quickly, and not hang on to what was but instead focus on what now is. That has translated beyond a scene or performance, and into my life on a larger scale. When the industry shifts, when I make career moves, I am not stuck in where I was but instead assess the current moment and see how I can add value, with what skills I have for this new set of circumstances. RAINE: If someone asked you how could they stimulate their creativity, what advice would you give? LISA: Stop doing things the same way every day. People go into the same meetings at the same time on the same days with the same people in the same rooms, sitting in the same seats, using the same pens and coffee cups and expect their brains to do something different? How is that supposed to happen? Set yourself up for success and stimulate your brain with at least a different seat at the table. Make it easy on your brain to generate new material and new ideas by giving it something new to work with. RAINE: What three traits do you feel are most needed to pursue entrepreneurship?

RAINE: Name your top three hacks for battling the loneliness of entrepreneurship. LISA: 1. Having friends who get it. Not everyone will understand what it’s like to do what you do, but having someone who knows the ins and outs of your challenges really helps. 2. Having a life outside of my business. I could spend 24 hours a day thinking about furthering my career but honestly how boring would I be? How insufferable to be around would I be? Having a hobby or a side hustle or something where I get out of my own head and stop making my job into my life keeps me out of the “I am an island” thinking. 3. Rescue a dog. Multiple dogs. It’s hard to be lonely when you have unconditionally-loving eyes looking at you. RAINE: What wellness tips do you swear by? LISA: To not listen to wellness tips from anyone. If there are almost 8 billion people on the planet, there are probably just as many opinions about what to do to stay healthy. And truly, everybody is unique. If I can be in tune with my own body and know what’s best for it, that’s the gold standard for me. Also, what makes me so special that I could tell everyone else what to do? There are no gurus, you are your own genius. The time you take seeing what works for everyone else – in my opinion – could be better spent truly getting to know yourself and your own body and needs. The time spent telling everyone else about your cool method – in my opinion – could be better spent getting to know yourself and your own body and needs even more. Health is a very personal, very complex matter, and right now in our culture we’ve made it very popular to be invasive into individuals’ health. Can you tell I have feelings about it? RAINE: What is your best advice in battling boredom in creative pursuits or creative entrepreneurship? LISA: Do something different. The brain is designed to find patterns, so if you take a pottery class, go out and learn photography, or attend a lecture on the history of the Berlin Wall, your brain will naturally make connections with what you know and do. You don’t have to do all the work, you’ll learn and find new ways to strengthen your understanding of your expertise and how it relates to the world at large by engaging with a new topic. It doesn’t mean you have to become an expert or jump ship or start becoming a new type of creative, but giving yourself more connections to the world at large

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through your viewpoint can only strengthen your understanding of your practice or discipline. RAINE: What do you want to be when you grow up? Has this stayed the same or changed throughout the years? LISA: I’ve always done what I wanted to do. I love being in front of audiences. I love doing comedy. I love making people laugh. I love giving people an experience and escape and understanding of something new. I love acting! It’s stayed the same and I’ve found different ways to explore and express this desire over my life. I’ve been incredibly fortunate and I’m so grateful that I’ve been on this specific path. RAINE: What major project coming up are you most excited about? LISA: I have been fortunate enough to work with a few amazing actors in the past few months on shows that will be released in 2019. The other two projects I’ve been putting a lot of my time and energy into is a podcast and a live streaming improv show. The podcast I co-host with my friend Misty Stinnett is called Go Help Yourself. It’s a comedy self-help podcast where we review popular self-help books through our unique perspectives: she loves them and I hate anyone telling me what to do. We have a great time and so far, the response has been great! It’s a nice way to preview a book to see if you want to buy it or pass. Plus, we have a great time. The live streaming show is called #SuggestionSundayShow, and it takes place every week on Instagram Live. It is a free improv show you can view in the comfort of your own home! I take suggestions via the comments from viewers, and create character monologues on the spot. I have special guests – with the Instagram platform I can invite people in and we’re on a split screen. It’s really fun! People can participate as much or as little as they like. I’ve been doing it for two years this May, and I’m loving all the special guests I’ve had in over the past year. RAINE: Who have been the most memorable people you have worked alongside and why? LISA: I had the chance to work with RuPaul this year and I was able to ask him a few questions about producing, as I have a lot of projects going on at once. He said to work on what was in front of you and not anything else at the moment. I love that because I often work like a buckshot – doing 10 things at once, and it’s not effective, but it feels like I need to be everywhere at once. Even though we know that multitasking isn’t helpful or efficient, sometimes it just feels like there is too much to do, so I’m going to make that my goal for 2019: to just do what’s in front of me. Also, he’s wonderful! RAINE: Word to the wise: What advice would you lend to a budding talent on the rise in your chosen field? LISA: To create your own content from the get-go. You can’t be just one thing anymore, you have to really know how to do several things, so start honing those skills now so you only get better and better.

control to determine my outcome. If I focus on product over process, I’ll often feel like I’m a failure. By focusing on process, I can figure out when I’m executing what I need to be doing and when I need to do more. RAINE: Describe yourself in five words or less. LISA: I talk for your pets. RAINE: What are your superpowers? How have they helped you excel? LISA: I’m stubborn as hell. It helps me excel because I dig in my heels and I won’t give up until I figure something out or find a way. RAINE: Talk about how technology has changed your industry for newcomers? LISA: Everyone has movie production available in their phone! Content creation no longer has a high barrier to entry! So yes, the entire industry is upended. It’s an exciting time. New platforms, more scripted shows than ever on more platforms…it’s amazing. RAINE: What tech do you use to increase your productivity? Name up to 3 LISA: Unroll.me to manage subscription emails and to declutter junk mail, I synchronize all my appointments with iCal and third-party apps to help keep me on time (Waze, etc.), and I use WordSwag to make cool social media content. RAINE: How does being an independent brand or artist allow you to have more creative freedom? LISA: As a satirist, I enjoy not having to answer to anyone for the content I create. I have a specific point of view, and I love creating content that reflects my take on the world. RAINE: Regarding fashion, what would you describe as your signature “look”? LISA: Mmmm. Probably “I should wash my hair.” RAINE: Do your fashion choices affect your success in meetings or pitches? LISA: Of course! It would be crazy to think otherwise. On auditions, looking like the character is paramount. Choosing wardrobe that helps the producers see me as a good fit for the character is important. RAINE: What is your favorite city for work and play and why? LISA: I love Paris. I could go to Paris for every vacation, ever. I just love walking for hours and looking at the architecture. I also love visiting New York City, after years of visiting for work and play I finally know my way around Manhattan. And Chicago is my heart. Growing up in the Midwest, I love my Chicago! Great food, great people, great improv.

RAINE: How have you overcome the setbacks, letdowns and obstacles of your career? LISA: In my chosen profession, I’ll spend most of my time unemployed. So, if I didn’t expect to have setbacks, I’d be in the wrong profession. I just focus on controlling what I can, which is my preparation and my execution. Everything else is out of my control, so it seems futile to try and focus on that. I have built a great support system of friends and colleagues to help get me through tough times. RAINE: What is your viewpoint of failure and how best to deal with it? LISA: Failure is relative. I’m in a creative field where I lack a lot of the

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ADAM MCARTHUR A N D

McArthur was raised in the small town of Pinole, California with his parents and three siblings. Growing up as an 80’s kid, McArthur was always inspired by the classic cartoons on TV. He was always begging his parents for an agent to combine his love for cartoons, acting and voice overs. At the age of 16, he finally got his chance and started taking acting classes in San Francisco. His talent quickly grabbed the attention of an agent and he went on to book 30 radio commercials over the course of one summer for Macy’s. McArthur is currently the lead voice on the hit Disney animated comedy series Star vs. the Forces of Evil. His character, “Marco Diaz”, is a misunderstood bad boy who befriends a princess from another dimension, “Star Butterfly”, voiced by Eden Sher. The voice cast also features Alan Tudyk as “Ludo”, and Jenny Slate as “Pony Head”. The show was ranked as one of Google’s “Top Trending Comedy TV Shows of 2017,” and the fourth and final season is airing now on Disney Channel. The series has also garnered critical acclaim, earning three Annie Award nominations and multiple Behind the Voice Actors Awards. McArthur is also known for his recurring voice work in the original animated series The LeBrons, from the mind of the NBA legend LeBron James. He has also lent his voice to two Emmy Awardwinning shows, Cartoon Network’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Netflix’s The Adventures of Puss in Boots. In addition to his voiceover work on the small screen, McArthur has also brought his talent to the world of gaming in Final Fantasy Type-0, where he plays the mysterious hooded figure known as Joker. McArthur stays busy outside of acting as a successful entrepreneur. He owns and operates The Booth & Bus Co., a Los Angeles-based Photo Booth company providing some of the most unique, fun, and engaging photo booth experiences in Southern California. The company offers traditional photo booth design as well as a selection of uniquely designed booths built inside vintage VW buses. They have earned a devoted following of A-list clientele from their work at corporate and entertainment events throughout Los Angeles. 74

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Outside of acting, McArthur enjoys practicing martial arts. He teaches Kung Fu and Judo, in which he has earned black belts. He resides in Los Angeles and you can usually find him in his favorite boba shop. ADAM: From an early age my love for Acting flourished allowing me to live boldly and confidently, as well as make good decisions and stay focused. RAINE: Can you describe your experiences and how they helped fine-tune your craft? ADAM: Acting is amazing in that any and all experiences contribute to more honesty in performance. Living a full life helps you be a better actor and everything from adventures, traveling, to personal relationships with friends, have helped me fine-tune my craft. RAINE: What’s been a funny behind the scenes moment that you could share? ADAM: At one point during a recording of the Star Vs. The Forces of Evil episode “Friendenemies”, Rider Strong and I had to sing a duet. Since neither of us are singers, we were incredibly nervous to let loose and commit. After realizing we were both scared and about 10 minutes of nervous laughter later, we both crushed our song and had the best time. The funniest part of the whole thing is that the fans absolutely loved it and anytime we’re anywhere together we get asked to sing it again. RAINE: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself 5 years ago? R A I N E M AG A Z I N E - VO L U M E 3 3

ADAM: Say yes more. Take more risks and don’t turn down fun for work. RAINE: How would you describe a creative entrepreneur in your own words? ADAM: A creative entrepreneur is someone who is dedicated to the pursuit of honesty in their artistry - a person in the business of honesty and truth conveyed through self-expression. RAINE: If you had to relate what you do to sports, how would you describe how you have followed, changed or distributed the game? ADAM: I’m a utility player. I’m the guy who takes into consideration all aspects of the game. I can be a team player when I need to be, a leader when I need to be, and also sit back and follow whenever it is necessary. RAINE: If someone asked you how could they stimulate their creativity, what advice would you give? ADAM: Get outside. Whether you’re taking a walk or going on an adventure, the outdoors fills us up and helps us get out of our own way. RAINE: What three traits do you feel are most needed to pursue entrepreneurship? ADAM: Perseverance, positivity, and eloquence. RAINE: Have you ever faced the issue of burnout in your career? If so, how did you overcome it? ADAM: I haven’t actually. I feel incredibly blessed to

live the life I do. I love my work. RAINE: Name your top three hacks for battling the loneliness of entrepreneurship. ADAM: Find a friend you can talk business with. Exercise regularly. Allow yourself to do other things you enjoy besides working on your business. RAINE: What wellness tips do you swear by? ADAM: Massage and skin care! Treat yourself. RAINE: What is your best advice in battling boredom in creative pursuits or creative entrepreneurship? ADAM: Be patient.You’re a human being, which means you’re going to experience a wealth of emotions on your journey. Allow yourself to be bored, annoyed, “stuck,” etc. It’s all normal. As soon as I stopped fighting so hard against all the “negative” emotions they started passing more quickly. RAINE: What do you want to be when you grow up? Has this stayed the same or changed throughout the years? ADAM: I have always wanted to be an actor - and I always will want to be an actor. The only thing that changes as the years go by is how grateful I am when I get opportunities. RAINE: What major project coming up are you most excited about? ADAM: I’m super excited for Star Vs. The Forces of Evil season 4. New episodes just started airing on the Disney Channel and I’m very proud of my work as well as the work of the entire crew. It’s an amazing show. RAINE: Who have been the most memorable people you have worked alongside and why? ADAM: Dominic Bisignano, a supervising producer and writer on Star Vs. The Forces of Evil has had a big influence on me creatively. He’s a husband, father, and also an incredibly talented creative. His love for story and honesty through art is wonderful to witness. Above all he’s a great dude and really cares about his work. RAINE: Word to the wise: What advice would you lend to a budding talent on the rise in your chosen field? ADAM: Work hard, practice, pay attention, have fun, and be patient. Oh, and get another job so you don’t have the stresses of life (rent, money, etc) weighing on you while you pursue a career in the arts. RAINE: How have you overcome the setbacks, letdowns and obstacles of your career? ADAM: My martial arts training taught me from an early age that you just have to be comfortable in the uncomfortable. Whenever I had a setback or rough year, I didn’t let it get me down. I always viewed it as part of the course. Nothing in life is easy, but someone has to succeed, so it might as well be me. RAINE: What is your viewpoint of failure and how best to deal with it? ADAM: I welcome failure. It presents opportunities to learn and grow. Failure is a huge part of success. RAINE: Describe yourself in five words or less. ADAM: Impossible. Ok, ok fine, I’m RAINE: What drew you to your passion? ADAM: I’ve always wanted to be an actor. The ability to make people laugh and brighten someone’s day has always drawn me to performing.

RAINE: What are your superpowers? How have they helped you excel? ADAM: I’m a deep thinker. I like to consider all angles. It has helped me excel in that I give careful consideration to all outcomes, which allows me to take calculated risks, which most of the time pay off. RAINE: If there was one thing you could have changed during your journey as a creative entrepreneur, what would it be and why? ADAM: I would have said no less often early on in my career. The fear of not doing a project that I considered “good” held me back from growing. RAINE: Talk about how technology has changed your industry for newcomers? ADAM: Social media alone has considerably changed the game. A lot of people see it as a bad thing, but it allows actors to market themselves however they like, and when they’re on projects they can get immediate feedback. If you do it right, it can be a powerful tool that can help you build a very good career. RAINE: What has been the most valuable tool in your arsenal of apps, gadgets or software? ADAM: My MacBook Pro, Instagram, and my iPad. Everything lives on my laptop and when I’m insanely busy all my gadgets help me accomplish tasks more efficiently.

models that have inspired your current style? ADAM: Ryan Gosling and Giovanni Ribisi both have a great sense of style. I love to stay on trend but keep it all classic at the same time. RAINE: What is the biggest problem that creative face today and how would you solve it? ADAM: The pressure of feeling like they need to have a social following is something I think a lot of creatives struggle with. I would just remind them they will always be more than their following and to, no matter what, keep creating and working on your work. People will see it when it’s time. RAINE: What are your thoughts about crypto currency? ADAM: I wish I had some about 10 years ago. I’m still in the, “eh, we’ll see” category. RAINE: What is your favorite city for work and play and why? ADAM: My favorite city for work is obviously Los Angeles. I can’t do what I do anywhere else. For play, I’d say it’s a tie between Los Angeles (there’s SO much good food here) and San Diego. I guess I really love California huh?

RAINE: What tech do you use to increase your productivity? Name up to 3 ADAM: iPad, portable Apogee USB mic, and iCal. RAINE: How does being an independent brand or artist allow you to have more creative freedom? ADAM: Simply, I can do what I want. It’s all up to me. I have the final say on what I’m putting out creatively on my social channels, etc. RAINE: Regarding fashion, what would you describe as your signature “look”? ADAM: I love to rock a fun patterned shirt, but still keep the look as a whole classic and timeless. RAINE: Do your fashion choices affect your success in meetings or pitches? ADAM: Definitely! If I’m feeling good, it shows. Nothing makes me feel better than a good outfit with a nice new pair of shoes. RAINE: Who have been some of your fashion role R A I N E M AG A Z I N E - VO L U M E 3 3

FA SHION

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JOSSELYN AZZANETH GARCIGLIA BAÑUELOS FROM MISS MEXICO TO FASHION MODEL

NAME: Josselyn Azzaneth Garciglia Bañuelos HOMETOWN: la Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico HEIGHT: 5’ 9” AGENCY: New Icon Models Mexico HOBBIES: Reading (a lot). There’s something magical about it

once you pick the topics you want to learn in life you can’t stop. Swimming, sports, having fun, hanging out with my friends in a nice place with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, going to the beach and the most important being with my family. I can spend hours laughing with them, they are the best. FUN FACTS: I´m dyslexic and I use glasses for astigmatism, because I cannot measure space, so I don’t know why I’m always bumping into walls or objects - so it just became something I laugh a lot at.

“THERE’S ONLY ONE YOU IN THE WORLD, THAT’S YOUR SUPERPOWER!” RAINE: What words of wisdom would you share with aspiring

models?

JOSSELYN: I’ve learned that in this industry you’ll never

be perfect. People are always making comments about you, sometimes you’re too tall or too short or too overweight or not beautiful enough, so the most important thing is that you learn to love yourself, respect yourself and be unique.There’s only one YOU in the world, that’s your super power!

RAINE: What was the greatest lesson you have learned along

your journey as a creative entrepreneur?

JOSSELYN: I started my company, a beauty salon in Mexico

as well as my modelling agency, I didn’t know what I was getting in to. It’s so much responsibility and sometimes you feel things are getting out of control but I’ve learnt that all this keeps challenging me every day to improve myself to be better to get better to learn new things. When you have a business, there is no days off, you’ll always have to stand up and think of the possibilities to fix it. You’ll always find a solution you just have to focus, love it and enjoy it. Difficult times are part of the process.

RAINE: How do you stay inspired? JOSSELYN: God is my inspiration every day to pursue my

dreams! He’s placed in my heart so every day I wake up and try to stay positive because he’s got me. Even when the doors don’t open, I know it’s a blessing, he knows better than me even if I can’t see it.

RAINE: How did you get through your most difficult challenge? JOSSELYN: I’ve been through a lot of difficulties in my life. I’ve

lost people that I loved so much, I had to face big challenges like being at the Miss Universe pageant, to start a career in the entertainment industry in Mexico and now in New York. What made me get through it is my family. It is always in them where I find my strength and my refuge when I feel I can’t do it by myself, they are always there to push me through it.

PHOTOGRAPHED by VITAL AGIBALOW for HENSEL Styling by TenbyNYC MakeUp and Hair by Yuliya Cezar

RAINE: Who has been the most influential person in your success and why? JOSSELYN: The two most influential people in my career are not on earth anymore. My grandmother always told me “I want to see you succeed” and the other one was Hugo Castellanos. He prepared me for Miss Universe and for life, to be the most beautiful version of myself, to be confident. They both taught me how to be a strong woman, to have the courage to pursue my dreams. I know they are watching over me and smiling every time I have a win in this life. R A I N E M AG A Z I N E - VO L U M E 3 3

FORGING A PATH FOR FILMMAKERS

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SARA MCDERMOTT JAIN IS A PRODUCED SCREENWRITER AND PLAYWRIGHT. SHE IS ALSO THE FOUNDER OF PRINDIE, THE PRINCETON INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL ( www.prindiefest.com). As a

screenwriter, her feature screenplay LEFT, written while at Emerson College, won the Evvy Award for Best Script Drama before being purchased by Gaddis Visuals. Her short film CHANCE won both Achievement in Short Film at the Williamsburg International Film Festival and the Director’s Choice Award at the DFA’s New Filmmakers’ screening at NYC’s Anthology Film Archives. She is currently at work on a documentary about emotional abuse and her latest feature screenplay, THE CAGE, based on the best-selling and award-winning novel by Audrey Schulman, has recently been optioned. She will make her feature directorial debut with CORRUPTIBLE, a psychological thriller which she also wrote and has been optioned by Mission Ranch Films. Sara had been a working screenwriter for years when her son, Nicholas, was born in 2014. As a new mother, she quickly realized she would not be able to keep pace with her writing schedule, and so began to search for other ways to be involved in the world of film with a newborn on her lap. She had moved to Princeton, NJ while pregnant and thought the town was perfect for an indie film festival; happily, she realized that watching movies was still something she was able to do, even with a baby who refused to nap.

She put out a call for film submissions just to see if there would be any interest and wound up getting 83! Sara independently watched all of them in that first year (almost going crazy in the process), developed the festival schedule, and lined up venues. The first PRINDIE: Princeton Independent Film Festival took place in Fall 2015, shortly after Nicholas turned one. Sara pulled off another PRINDIE in 2016, but it became clear that she would not be able to grow the festival as a one-woman show. For the 2017 festival, Ryan McDonald came on board to head up the programming side of things, and his wife, Claire Elaine, stepped up to create a new website and set the brand guidelines for the festival. With Ryan’s acumen for film, the programming for the festival in 2017 completely changed and went on to include international winners and nominees in the Academy Awards, Cannes, and Sundance just to name a few. He also aligned the festival with leading international distribution companies to bring awareness to the festival. Still as a small, three-person team, there was a lot of overlap in responsibilities and Claire’s role ended up evolving from Creative Director in 2017 to becoming the Executive Director in 2018. She led the growing team in another successful year to include guest speakers from the Grist 50 fixers, Student Academy Award winner, Kevin H. Wilson, along with Sundance nominated and Cannes Cinefondation Fellow, Myrsini Aristidou. From 2017 to 2018, PRINDIE was able to increase sponsorship by over 1000%, films submissions by 75% and attendance by 120%.This growth is a testament to the hard work, dedication and enthusiasm that the team emanates, which now includes Senior Programmer and Princeton University Mathematics major, Alex Kim, as well as Creative Direction Intern, Tarik Tull. RAINE: From an early age your love for dinosaurs flourished allowing you to fully appreciate Jurassic Park. Can you describe your experiences and how they helped fine-tune your craft? RYAN: I don’t think the craft of any art form is “fine-tuned” as much as it is a continuous experiment. I think the artist should strive more for truth and worry less about the illusion of control, if that makes sense. I think suggestion of mastery should be presented only by the viewer as a reaction to a sincere presentation in whichever medium one’s art is classified. The Greats have the uncanny ability to make the objective feel subjective; by which I mean the superficially broad and commercially associated choices seem as though they are seen through the eyes of many a viewer, but once the audience fully engages with the art, they experience a very personal event. In terms of cinema, I think if one is called by another, fine-tuned, then they are referring to the artist’s ability to deeply understand the truth of the human condition the way a philosopher or psychoanalyst can see R A I N E M AG A Z I N E - VO L U M E 3 3

patterns in behavior. As a programmer, finding a language or balance in the curation of another artist’s work is essential, and it’s our responsibility to present the work in the best possible light – no matter the subject. Jurassic Park definitely taught me this. RAINE: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself 5 years ago? CLAIRE: I now know what it’s like to really work hard. It is long hours, constantly thinking about what needs to be done next and absolutely satisfying when you pull off something successful! I would have told myself five years ago to pick a focus; that to really do something right, it needs to be your baby and to take all the energy and attention you would give a little one. I’ve always had many interests and for a while thought I could be good at it all, but truth was the magic didn’t really happen until I said, “okay this is it.” RYAN: Go slowly, and don’t stress the small stuff. It’s cinema and a festival, so it’s supposed to be fun! RAINE: How would you describe a creative entrepreneur in your own words? RYAN: They would have the uncanny ability to absorb information with an endless curiosity to innovate - change or die, but that doesn’t mean you can’t weave the past into the present. RAINE: If someone asked you how could they stimulate their creativity, what advice would you give? RYAN: Go find your version of nature and watch it. Whether it’s the naturalism of Yosemite or the industrialism of Manhattan, you need to experience the beat of your nature. Just watch it for a while, you end up talking to yourself in your head and come up with the greatest ideas. RAINE: What three traits do you feel are most needed to pursue entrepreneurship? CLAIRE: Resilience, Optimism and Persistence. Not necessarily in that order, but a good mix of those three. RAINE: Name your top three hacks for battling

the loneliness of entrepreneurship.

CLAIRE: Don’t be lonely! Get yourself a team of

people who are just as excited and enthusiastic about what you are doing as you are, and you won’t have to face doing it on your own. Having our team at PRINDIE is like a family in its own right. What wellness tips do you swear by? CLAIRE : Meditation has been a lifesaver. It’s so difficult to sometimes even take the time for it, but I see how even just making the space to be quiet has become an essential part of keeping me sane amongst everything that has to be done. RAINE: What major project coming up are you most excited about? CLAIRE: Oh, everything we do is exciting! It’s 79

Photo by Jane Therese

always a great opportunity to do something new and have more people learn about us and see how we are growing. The festival in September is the main event, of course, but we are doing some smaller events to continually promote ourselves and independent filmmakers. RAINE: Who have been the most memorable

people you have worked alongside and why?

CLAIRE: My husband, Ryan, the Programming

Director for PRINDIE is the reason I got involved in the first place. He has a serious eye for filmmaking talent and is an incredibly hard worker. He excels in everything he sets his mind to and has always been a great support. RAINE: Who have been the most memorable

people you have worked alongside and why? RYAN: I’d have to say Claire, not because she is my wife and said me, but because without her this festival would not be where it is and what it’s becoming. She is the bones and brains of the operation. Her efforts are heroic to say the least and it sets the tempo for everything that comes next. 80

RAINE: Word to the wise: What advice would you lend to a budding talent on the rise in your chosen field? RYAN: In filmmaking I’d say go to films, and in programming I’d say go to a lot of films! But I think for both art forms it is important to always speak about the least favorable attempts of art with respect. Just because one doesn’t understand it now, doesn’t mean that it won’t change your life a decade later or spark inspiration in subsequent generations. RAINE: How have you overcome the setbacks,

identifier by which to change and improve. And then I fail again. You can’t care or it will consume you and you won’t get anything done. RAINE: Describe yourself in five words or less. CLAIRE: Endlessly optimistic.

RYAN: ^what she said.

RAINE: If there was one thing you could have

changed during your journey as a creative entrepreneur, what would it be and why? CLAIRE: I would have started sooner.

letdowns and obstacles of your career?

RAINE: Talk about how technology has changed

other way to tackle an issue, some other person for the job. There really is nothing so big that can stop you, only things that may change your course and often times those changes set you up for something even better that you may not have thought of.

CLAIRE: The world of movies is ever-evolving

alongside new technologies. Right now, we have more mainstream VR systems that are allowing artists to move into that medium and we plan on being at the forefront of getting that art in front of our audience.

RAINE: What is your viewpoint of failure and

RAINE: What has been the most valuable tool

CLAIRE: There’s always something else. Some

how best to deal with it? RYAN: I fail every day. And that’s my only R A I N E M AG A Z I N E - VO L U M E 3 3

your industry for newcomers?

in your arsenal of apps, gadgets or software?

CLAIRE: We live and die by Google Drive!

RAINE: What tech do you use to increase your productivity? Name up to 3 RYAN: The obvious standards, Excel, Adobe Suite, and video conferencing, but I’m really getting into Python, data science, machine learning, deep learning, AI, and seeing how we can implement tech into the back office of the festival and eventually behind the camera. We have some ideas…

Photos courtesy PRINDIE

RAINE: How does being an independent

brand or artist allow you to have more creative freedom? RYAN: I don’t think I know if it does. We are in the process of transitioning to a 501(c)(3) so the added grants and the ability to align ourselves with like-minded organizations will certainly strengthen our aim. I think we are a collective of educated-free spirits that have positioned PRINDIE as a place for directors first and foremost. Anyone coming into our circle knows this, and therefore the “creative freedom” if that’s what you want to call it, was instated from the beginning. If that changes, then you will find me in nature.

RAINE: In regards to your unique selling advantage, explain how you made the choice to break the mold? CLAIRE: At PRINDIE we are not only interested in showcasing international, independent cinema, we are dedicated to working with the filmmakers to expand upon the different narratives and educate our audience as to how they can make a difference in the world. This choice was driven by our desire to want to make a positive impact wherever we can and in the biggest and best way possible. RAINE: Regarding fashion, what would you describe as your signature “look”? CLAIRE: My look changes so often. I’ve committed to buying less new clothing to lessen my environmental impact and find that shopping second hand stores gives me so much to choose from in terms of style. I really love it - I get to really change it up day to day.

I’m way too relaxed in this category, but I’d say role models of fashion would go to Ann Demeulemeester, Rick Owens, and Yohji Yamamoto. And for those (living) that capture the medium being Paolo Roversi, Greg Kadel, and Steven Meisel. RAINE: What is the biggest problem that creative face today and how would you solve it? CLAIRE: The way media is today, it’s hard to feel like any industry isn’t saturated, and this can be overwhelming. I think you have to keep an eye on the world, but mostly try and focus on bringing the best version of yourself to the table and not give up. RAINE: What is your favorite city for work and play and why? RYAN: Why Manhattan of course. As the fellow New Yorker, my dad says, “it’s the ocean on fire.” How true, how perfect!

RAINE: Who have been some of your fashion

role models that have inspired your current style?

RYAN: Now I’m not saying I dress like this, R A I N E M AG A Z I N E - VO L U M E 3 3

Success is also driven by your environment. Surround yourself with the people you want to be most like. -Nova Lorraine

RAINEMAKER

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Photos by Collin Stark

KATHLEEN ROBERTSON

RAISING THE BAR AS A TRIPLE THREA T. MEE T WRI TER, PRODUCER AND AC TOR,

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AS AN AC TOR, KA THLEEN ROBER TSON IS SE T TO S TAR IN NE TFLIX’S AN TICIPA TED FAMILY DRAMA NOR THERN RESCUE WHICH IS SE T TO PREMIERE MARCH 1 S T.

Robertson recently starred opposite Taye Diggs on Steven Bochco’s critically acclaimed TNT character-based crime drama MURDER IN THE FIRST for three seasons. She simultaneously had a pivotal, recurring role opposite Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore on A & E’s acclaimed Emmy-nominated BATES MOTEL as a freespirited, hippy drug lord. She also garnered much attention for her starring role on the Gus Van Sant, Golden Globe-winning political drama, BOSS as the brilliant, broken and duplicitous Kitty O’Neill, Mayor Tom Kane’s (Kelsey

Grammer) press aide. Prior to this succession of shows, she starred on IFC’s Award-winning mockumentary style improvisational comedy series THE BUSINESS, for which she also served as Executive Producer. As a writer and producer, Robertson is building an impressive slate of both television and feature film projects; inclusive of a first-look pact with UCP. On the feature side, she is currently adapting THE POSSIBILITIES for Fox Searchlight and Academy Award nominated filmmaker Jason Reitman who is attached to direct. In addition, she is adapting LITTLE BEE for Amazon Studios and Academy Award winning actress Julia Roberts attached to star. Robertson was also recently brought on to adapt the comic book series LADY KILLER for Dark Horse and Michelle Mac Laren(Westworld/Game of Thrones) directing. On the television side, in a highly competitive situation, Robertson recently signed an overall deal with Universal Cable Productions to both create and produce original content. R A I N E M AG A Z I N E - VO L U M E 3 3

She also sold YOUR TIME IS UP to Lifetime with Academy Award winning producer Gil Netter (Life of Pi/the Blind Side) producing and Christina Applegate set to star. In addition to this she also sold an adaptation of SWIMMING WITH SHARKS to USA Network, SHOOTING STARS to E! and HOLLYWOOD BABYLON to Warner Brothers with John Wells set to direct and exec produce alongside Robertson. As an actor, Robertson also starred in psychological thriller THE VATICAN TAPES as a psychologist with a secret past alongside Michael Pena for Lionsgate/Lakeshore. She has appeared in such varied films as Focus Features’ HOLLYWOODLAND alongside Academy Award-winners Ben Affleck and Adrien Brody for director Allen Coulter; IFC Films’ sexual drama XX/XY opposite Mark Ruffalo, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival; New Line’s I AM SAM in a key role alongside Sean Penn; the Sally Field directed comedy-drama BEAUTIFUL with Minnie Driver; John McNaughton’s comedy SPEAKING OF SEX opposite Bill Murray; and a

Photos by Tony Duran

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starring role in the sequel to Dimension Films’ blockbuster, SCARY MOVIE, for director Keenan Ivory Wayans.

but all of a sudden something may be good and that growth is fun to experience.

Other notable television credits include a starring role alongside Zooey Deschanel in SyFy’s TIN MAN, a reimagining of THE WIZARD OF OZ, which received multiple Emmy nominations and garnered the highest ratings in the network’s history, as well as a starring role in the Weinstein Co.’s SEAL TEAM SIX from the producers of THE HURT LOCKER.

RAINE: How have you overcome the setbacks, let downs and obstacles of your career? KATHLEEN: Keep your blinders on and keep digging ditches. Acting and writing are both not for the faint hearted. It’s a ton of rejection and people telling you you aren’t good enough. You really have to love it and desperately want to do it, or it’s just not worth it. But work ethic is number one.

A five-time Canadian Screen Award nominee for Best Actress; Robertson’s first nomination came for her starring role in TORSO, playing notorious Canadian murderer Evelyn Dick in the grizzly 1946 true story. Next came her nomination as a struggling single mom who undergoes a “falling down” style mental and physical breakdown in LAST EXIT; and most recently for her portrayal of ‘Colleen Howe’, controversial wife to hockey legend Gordie Howe and the first female agent in sports history in MR. HOCKEY. Robertson also received a Leo Award for that performance.

RAINE: We love transformation. If you experienced a personal or professional evolution, what was the inspiration behind it how have people reacted? KATHLEEN: When I first decided I wanted to write professionally, people thought I was crazy. I was on a successful TV show (“Boss” with Kelsey Grammer) and the idea of an actress wanting to be taken seriously as a writer felt foreign five years ago. I’m glad I didn’t listen to all the noise and just went for it. Being a writer has changed everything for me.

A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Robertson currently resides in Los Angeles.

RAINE: If there was one thing you could have changed during your journey as a creative entrepreneur, what would it be and why? KATHLEEN: I wish I had let people read my stuff earlier. I could have been doing all this for the last 20 years.

RAINE: From an early age your love for art flourished allowing you to entertain the idea of making a living being creative. Can you describe your experiences and how they helped fine-tune your craft? KATHLEEN: A vivid memory as a kid was when my dad took me to the Art Gallery of Hamilton. I was probably around eight or nine at the time. I grew up in a steel town an hour outside of Toronto. Nobody in my family was in the entertainment business. There was a Paul Knee Exhibit and I remember being oddly moved. It sort of crept up on me and I was curious. It was the first time I remember being awake to that kind of feeling. RAINE: If someone asked you how could they stimulate their creativity, what advice would you give? KATHLEEN: I think we all know what we are instinctively drawn to. Listen and trust the things that pull you in creatively; whether it’s a specific photograph or a song or a book. Allow yourself time to find and cultivate the things that inspire you.

Photos by Guy Aroch

RAINE: What wellness tips do you swear by? KATHLEEN: Cliché but tons of water, tons of walking, and tons of time in nature with people I love. RAINE: What do you want to be when you grow up? Has this stayed the same or changed throughout the years? KATHLEEN: Well, I grew up wanting to be just an actor and now I’m an actor, a writer and a producer - so it’s changed and grown a bit from when I was a kid.

RAINE: What has been the most valuable tool in your arsenal of apps, gadgets or software? KATHLEEN: I love the app Headspace for grounding, Voice Memo for notes and script ideas and Genius Scan is a lifesaver. RAINE: How does being an independent brand or artist allow you to have more creative freedom? KATHLEEN: Writing allows me to be creative on my terms unlike acting, I don’t have to wait for an incoming call to get hired to go act. I can wake up and sit at my laptop and make stuff – that feels really good. RAINE: Do your fashion choices affect your success in meetings or pitches? KATHLEEN: Well, I have to say after so many years being in front of cameras, I am not big on spending any time I don’t have to in hair/make-up and wardrobe. It’s literally my least favorite part of my job! So, my joke/goal with writing has always been; I just want to be in sweatpants and my glasses sitting at my laptop. That is success to me. RAINE: What is your favorite city for work and play and why? KATHLEEN: I love Toronto. It’s close to my hometown of Hamilton where all my family is. It has everything. If only it wasn’t so bloody cold.

RAINE: Word to the wise: What advice would you lend to a budding talent on the rise in your chosen field? KATHLEEN: For writers, I always say it’s very simple – just write, a lot. Most of it will be bad, some will be mediocre,

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We all have our hidden secrets. Some are prettier than others. -Nova Lorraine

TECHNOLOGY

TA P N E T WO R K: SU RGIN G AHEAD I N TH E G A M E O F ADV ERT ISING R

E D

S T O

Jared Christopherson is an experienced entrepreneur and digital executive with 15 years of experience in the advertising industry. He is the Co-Founder of TAP Network, the first Decentralized Advertising Network where consumers can directly monetize their own data with brand advertisers via blockchain. TAP Network aggregates tens of millions of users across top apps including Hooch App, a rewards app, also co-founded by Jared, where consumers receive perks at 250,000+ hotels, restaurants, and brands around the world. Jared previously co-founded YellowHammer Media Group, which counts brands such as 92

Casper, Warby Parker, LivingSocial, and Postmates as past clients. RAINE: From an early age your love for _______

flourished allowing you to ___________. Can you describe your experiences and how they helped fine-tune your craft? JARED: I was a real handful as a little kid – I went through a phase where I needed to know how everything worked, so I started taking apart everything I could get my hands on, alarm clocks, the computer, calculators. The problem was that I couldn’t quite figure out how to put them back together afterwards. After I discovered that R A I N E M AG A Z I N E - VO L U M E 3 3

C O -

N D

computer programs were written with code, I’d start deleting lines of code one line at a time to try to understand what each line of code did, long before I took any programming classes. Eventually all of this turned into a successful love of tinkering and building computers and such, but apologies to my parents for breaking so many things in the house along the way!

Photos Courtesy Tap Network

J A

RAINE: What three traits do you feel are most

needed to pursue entrepreneurship?

JARED: Passion, risk tolerance, and commitment.

You need to be passionate enough about what you’re creating where you won’t go crazy when

you’re dealing with it on nights and weekends. It’s a driving, borderline obsessive desire to create. Similarly, entrepreneurs aren’t people that are risk averse – it’s a lifestyle filled with unknowns, nothing like a typical stable 9 to 5 for a big company. Commitment pushes you through the ups and downs, surviving long enough to finally succeed. RAINE: What wellness tips do you swear by? JARED: Sleep! Sometimes easier said than

done, but make the most of your downtime with good sleep hygiene. I also find that it’s incredibly helpful to carve out some time from your schedule to exercise, even if you need to put it on your calendar between meetings. It’s a great way to take a break and de-stress.

RAINE: What do you want to be when you grow up? Has this stayed the same or changed throughout the years? JARED: I was absolutely positive I wanted to be a doctor. It took about four weeks of my first premed class to figure out I’m way too squeamish to be dealing with all of that unpleasant business (and realize that all the doctors and nurses out there have my unending respect). Then I was sure that I wanted to be an engineer, so I finished a degree in computer science and engineering – which taught me that I would make a terrible engineer. Now I’ve “grown up” and I still don’t know what I want to be, but that’s part of the fun of being an entrepreneur. In a single day, you may get to play the role of tech lead, product owner, creative marketer, artist, strategist, and copywriter. RAINE: What major project coming up are you most excited about? JARED: I’m really excited about the launch of our new data and advertising platform called TAP Network, which will let users earn loyalty credits and redeem them towards anything from a cup of coffee to a stay at a 5-star hotel. We’ve developed this technology as a white label platform so that brands can easily plug into this system, offer rewards to their customers, and even attract new customers. It’s a type of winwin business model that I don’t come across very often, so I’m really thrilled that we have this opportunity and can’t wait to see where it goes. RAINE: Who have been the most memorable people you have worked alongside and why? JARED: I’ve been lucky enough to be able to say that I’ve had several very influential people that I’ve worked with over the years that I would consider mentors. One of the most memorable has been Jeremy Johnson, this brilliant guy who easily made the Forbes 30 under 30 list right around the time he took the biggest education technology company in history public on Nasdaq. His new company Andela is already helping shape the future of the entire tech community in Africa, and he has the direct support of investor funds headed by big names like Google, Mark

Zuckerberg, and Al Gore. I’ve learned a lot about the unlimited potential of social impact / social good entrepreneurship, and had the honor of meeting an inspiring network of people through Jeremy, including Nelson Mandela’s family. RAINE: If there was one thing you could have

changed during your journey as a creative entrepreneur, what would it be and why? JARED: Looking back, the main thing I would do differently as an entrepreneur is seeking outside help earlier. I think it’s important to put ego aside and realize there is always someone better than you out there, no matter what you’re doing. Mistakes are expensive, and there’s no reason you need to start from scratch and make your own mistakes. No business is truly unique, other people have already made the same mistakes hundreds or thousands of times in your industry. You can seek out advisors and mentors, learn from someone else’s experience, and shortcut your way to success. I fell into that trap with my first company, I could have saved years of time if I had networked my way into finding some advisors and learned from them earlier. RAINE: Do your fashion choices affect your

success in meetings or pitches?

JARED: I am perpetually underdressed. There’s

been an embarrassing number of times where my co-founder has sent me home to change before an important meeting. Fashion choices definitely have an impact on how you’re perceived in meetings, it seems important to read the room – you’ll stand out if you’re too underdressed or even too overdressed.

donation bags. She took me shopping, coached me, made me read fashion articles, and it worked… for a bit. Please don’t tell her I’m back on hoodies. RAINE: What are your thoughts about crypto

currency?

JARED: Cryptocurrency is a touchy and often

misunderstood subject, especially now that people have made or lost fortunes depending on their timing of getting into crypto. People always think of Bitcoin, but the real power is the underlying technology that powers cryptocurrency, which is called blockchain. Without getting too nerdy here, blockchain is an incredibly useful technology that has implications for improving every conceivable industry. You don’t need to know how it works to benefit from it - it’s already being used in everything from tracking the safety of the lettuce that went into the salad you ate at dinner to making sure that an expensive painting is genuine, a diamond is conflict-free, fish are being farmed sustainably, or musicians are getting paid fairly for their music. It’s not a magic bullet and it certainly still has flaws, it’s just a technology that can be exceptionally good for specific use cases. In our company, we’ve built our rewards platform TAP Network using blockchain as a way to reward our members for spending money with our partner brands, while maintaining data privacy and security. Individual cryptocurrencies may rise and fall, but blockchain is here to stay and we’re going to continue to see a lot of major announcements coming out of big companies using blockchain in their businesses over the next years.

RAINE: Who have been some of your fashion

role models that have inspired your current style?

JARED: Oh wow.

I definitely don’t think I’m qualified to talk fashion role models and inspiration, although people have tried! One of my friends (Amanda Sanders) happens to be a celebrity stylist, whose clients have included people like Chris Rock, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jeff Goldblum. She came over to my apartment and pulled a “What Not to Wear” on my closet, where she essentially made fun of me for an hour straight and threw everything in my closet into R A I N E M AG A Z I N E - VO L U M E 3 3

S H A P I N G

T H E

J AYDEN

F OUND ER

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F U T U R E

a nd

CEO

Blockchain veteran developing platforms in the blockchain space since 2011. An expert at identify nascent technologies with a global impact, Jayden Sage has received many distinctions and awards for being a pioneer in innovation. He is a frequent speaker on the Evolution of Blockchain Technology and the CEO of BION, a social commerce platform designed to help its users make money from their creativity and skills. Jayden is also the Author of the upcoming book, “The Future of Money”, an expose into the past, present, and future of how value creation impacts our lives on many levels. RAINE: How would you describe a creative entrepreneur in your own WORDS? JAYDEN: A creative entrepreneur’s entire job is to go against the grain. If you can’t feel comfortable in that dynamic on the daily, you will always feel strained. Trailblazers are non-conformists. RAINE: What three traits do you feel are most needed to pursue entrepreneurship? JAYDEN: Persistence Individuality A goal that goes beyond just pieces of paper with dead presidents RAINE: What is your best advice in battling boredom in creative pursuits or creative entrepreneurship? JAYDEN: If you are battling boredom in creative pursuits, then you are in the wrong field. Sorry, it’s time to go and punch a clock. Creativity is an overflowing and abundant state. Get in the zone and stay there. Your biggest challenge should always be having to choose between all of your creative ideas and endeavors. Whatever the Universe has designated as your contribution is always in overflow mode. If you are having to struggle to get in the zone, it really is not your zone, time to go find your true zone. RAINE: What major project coming up are you most excited about? JAYDEN: We have a new social/commerce platform about to debut called Bion. Bion is a new way to conduct peer-to-peer commerce in an environment likened to a village from back in the day, where you build trust and deal directly with the craftpersons and service providers. Commerce done direct, on a global level because at the end of the day, it’s still a village, be it covering a globe. Create a user profile, put your wares on there, and start making money. I also have a book coming out called, “The Future of Money”. It was originally intended 94

as a book for the blockchain community but somehow it became a book that is on the radar of far more people than I had ever imagined. I get multiple inquiries about its release daily. The book has attained a life of its own and is pretty much writing itself. Hopefully, it will give us a bigger picture of the role that money has played in our lives since civilization began. When you are in the valley, you have a certain perspective. When you see the valley from the top of the mountain, you see so much more. RAINE: Who have been the most memorable people you have worked alongside and why? JAYDEN: The most memorable person I have worked with was my acting coach and mentor, Bernice Loren. Her humility did not fully allow the world to feel her immense talents. I was exceptionally lucky to have years of one-on-one time with her. She took me in at a very early age and helped a child view the world from a more understanding lens. I think she relished in the idea of turning a grade skipping wiz kid into an actor who leads from the heart. She taught me the delicate art of understanding the true nature of human aspirations, from which all of our actions are based. To understand humanity, is to master the art of acting. She was an inspiration, one I always miss and whose words, I always cherish. RAINE: Word to the wise: What advice would you lend to a budding talent on the rise in your chosen field? JAYDEN: A budding talent in any field must recognize that you will and should fail. Failure is a part of success. You failed your way to success in your first major endeavor. When you were a child and you were learning how to walk, you failed. You got up again and you failed again. Did you stop? Did your parents say, “no-no, that is enough for my little baby, no more of this walking thing? It’s too risky, you could get hurt”. You took the risk, and you failed your way to success. And before you knew it, forget walking, you were running. That is a fundamental law of the Universe, accept it. Fail your way to success.

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RAINE: You’re known in your industry as ___________ with an unprecedented talent as a ________. What drew you to your passion? JAYDEN: I am known in my industry as a blockchain veteran. Back in 2011, a friend of mine sent me Satoshi Nakamoto’s whitepaper so I could read it and clarify it for him. I did, and explained it to him. He swiftly moved on, but the concepts in the paper stuck with me. For me, contained within it was not just bitcoin or blockchain, but the empowerment of the masses. The decentralization of everything in human endeavors. We have been living in a centralized world ever since civilization began. For the first time in history, the twinkle of a distant star became visible. Its light will forever change our vision and approach. That is the power of blockchain. It is still in its nascent phase and hence, many have taken a dismissive stance towards it. But in time, a new and decentralized world will be upon us. And the greatest take away is, it really does not matter whether you believe in its promise or not. The underpinnings are already gyrating. And change is upon us.

Photos courtesy BION

RAINE: What has been the most valuable tool in your arsenal of apps, gadgets or software? JAYDEN: The most valuable tool that we have in our arsenal is not our gadgets, it is our creativity. That is your secret weapon your enabler. The rest (gadgets, apps, money, etc) are just serving a supporting role to your creativity. That is your ultimate tool and you have had it since birth. Rejoice in the giving nature of the Universe, we truly are blessed. RAINE: What tech do you use to increase your productivity? Name up to 3 JAYDEN: Here is the great secret: The most powerful tech I use is the OFF button on my phone and my laptop. This ingenious button allows you to actually focus on what truly matters in your life. You get to walk in nature, come up with amazing ideas and you get to go back to that button far more empowered. RAINE: Do your fashion choices affect your success in meetings or pitches? JAYDEN: Fashion is one of the most underappreciated components of our lives. We treat it as an industry with which you either engage or, for the majority, disengage with it. Humanity is engineered to look for clues to help us wrap our minds around a dynamic and fast changing world. One of the clues we use is the attire we wear. What is going on, on the outside is a major reflection of what is going on, on the inside. Dress accordingly, lest you be judged as an internal mess. RAINE: What is the biggest problem that creative face today and how would you solve it? JAYDEN: Creative types problems will never go away. And that is how it should be. The sheer definition of creative is to think outside of the box. Being in your own space and attempting for the masses to see things from that unique perspective is a formidable challenge. Never underestimate its difficulty, nor its opportunity. You are in charge of rewriting the world. A daunting task, that you should tackle head on knowing that when you are done, you will have fulfilled your life mission. Definitely, do not let others dissuade you, for in their inability to visualize your unique perspective is the answer, that you are on the right track. RAINE: What are your thoughts about crypto currency? JAYDEN: Like all innovation in the digital age, crypto currency is the disruption to the financial industry. It is still in its nascent phase. Those who are dismissive about it don’t quite understand the power of time. Criticizing crypto currency is the equivalent of criticizing personal computers back in the 1970’s. Time will treat those who capture its significance quite well, and those who don’t will be left to suffer the consequences of disengagement. R A I N E M AG A Z I N E - VO L U M E 3 3

N EW

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S TYL ISTS

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Ayala Michelson is the Founder & CEO of Showroom. She is an entrepreneur and tech executive with a proven track record in building and growing high value products. Ayala holds a B.S.C in computer science & math and an MBA. Showroom is on a mission to change the way people discover fashion, making it more personalized, easy and fun. At Showroom we are building a fashion collaboration platform connecting

RAINE: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself 5 years ago? AYALA: When you dream it, you need to start executing on it. Don’t wait. If there’s a pain you want to solve in this world, go ahead and do it, it’s never too early and you have nothing to lose. Even if you don’t get it right the first time around, the journey will be the most accelerated learning you’ll ever have. This will make you so much more ready for your second time around. RAINE: What three traits do you feel are most needed to pursue entrepreneurship? AYALA: Be a dreamer - don’t accept the status quo. Envision a better future and a better way to do things. Conviction - embrace your dream and believe in it with every single bone in your body. If you don’t, how will others? Resilience - building a company is a long journey. You will hit many roadblocks and meet a lot of naysayers. Be wise enough to learn the right lessons from every fall, and strong enough to pick yourself up and try again and again. RAINE: Name your top three hacks for battling the loneliness of entrepreneurship. 96

AND

F OUND ER

PROF ESSIONALS

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CEO

people to discover fashion for their life moments from a global community of fashion professionals. We understand that it’s only with the combination of technology and the human factor of authentic unbiased advice from skilled fashion professionals that understand our life moment, that we can provide consumers with the most personalized and easiest shopping discovery experience

AYALA: You need a strong support system where you can vent and get the emotional support for the bad and good moments. It can come in the form of family, friends or even a group of likeminded professionals with whom you can share challenges. Engage in things completely unrelated to your work. Being an entrepreneur has a tendency to consume all your time as well as your mindset. You must actively invest in hobbies, sports or anything else you can think of that lets you disconnect completely. Not only will it do wonders to your mood and energy, but this temporary disconnect will also bring out your best ideas. Take the time to celebrate your small achievements. It’s common for entrepreneurs to skip the acknowledgements of the small wins. Every milestone you hit gets you thinking about the next one ahead of you. Before you start running towards that next milestone, pause, take a break with the people you love and people you work hard with. Acknowledge what you have achieved. You will need this energy to keep going. RAINE: Word to the wise: What advice would you lend to a budding talent on the rise in your chosen field? AYALA: Don’t spend a lot of time talking - start R A I N E M AG A Z I N E - VO L U M E 3 3

doing. Seeking for advice is great, but at the end of the day, no one will eat and breath the company the way you do. The best way to find answers is to hit the market as soon as possible. You have to be in constant friction with your audience to find your product market fit. RAINE: How have you overcome the setbacks, letdowns and obstacles of your career? AYALA: Focus and resilience. Always have your eyes on the goal and don’t let the rain stop you on the way there. Budget the time you allow yourself to feel sorry about yourself and then get back up again and try again - then repeat. Before you know it, you have arrived to your next milestone. RAINE: What is your viewpoint of failure and how best to deal with it? AYALA: Failure is the driver to success. You cannot learn and grow if you don’t fail. Easy gets you to regular, convenient places, but hardship builds you towards extraordinary places. RAINE: If there was one thing you could have changed during your journey as a creative entrepreneur, what would it be and why? AYALA: I would start an entrepreneurship journey earlier, even as a child. There’s no such thing as too early. The lessons you learn on this

Photos courtesy of Showroom

journey will aid you to achieve any future goal in your life. RAINE: Talk about how technology has changed your industry for newcomers? AYALA: Technology today is disrupting the fashion industry making it faster, smarter and more accessible than it has ever been. We have all witnessed the online revolution. Brick and mortars are closing and shopping has moved online. Fashion is a click of a button away, anytime and anywhere. We also see great developments around fashion becoming connected to IOT (Internet of Things). This can come in the form of real time biofeedback embedded on every clothing piece we wear, to the form of tracking our running performance, and so much more. Artificial intelligence is probably one of the biggest developments with the most potential to disrupt the fashion industry. It allows searching through masses of data in order to provide useful insights on consumers buying habits and then deliver recommendations. What AI is currently unable to do, though, is to provide recommendations that are based on the consumer context in life and his psychological state, which are key drivers to deliver personalized recommendations.

For example, consumers would pick something entirely different for the office spring party depending on the following: their current mood, who is going to be at that party, who they are looking to impress, the venue of the party, their budget and so much more. At Showroom we understand that AI can only get us so far, and therefore combine its data with real human recommendations by fashion professional “bestys” that “get” you, to deliver the best discovery experience for every moment. RAINE: In regards to your unique selling advantage, explain how you made the choice to break the mold? AYALA: At Showroom we understand that technology on its own cannot drive personalization. What people decide to wear, is closely connected with psychological aspects and the way they want to feel and experience any given moment in their lives. It’s only the combination of technology and human factors of real people understanding the consumer and providing real recommendations that can make fashion personal again, and let’s be honest, also fun. We kind of lost fun in the online experience.

AYALA: You’d normally find me in a black jeans and blouse. I am often frustrated with the fact that it’s so hard for me to find diverse pieces that take me out of my look mold - at the same time, fitting my life moments while generating that confident, yet comfortable feeling that I am looking for in what I wear. There are so many options available today and the very thought of looking through all of them, makes me give up before I even get started. I’d love to have easy and fast access to pieces that are right for me, without spending so much time and energy. This is exactly the reason that drove me to build Showroom. RAINE: What is your favorite city for work and play and why? AYALA: Tel Aviv! For work, it’s one of the best tech-hubs in the world. A source for endless talents and innovation. This combined with the Israeli mindset that nothing is impossible drives great achievements. For play - Tel Aviv is a city with the endless beaches and a city that never sleeps. It also has great drinking, food and party scenes- so there’s something here for anyone at any hour of the day.

RAINE: Regarding fashion, what would you describe as your signature “look”? R A I N E M AG A Z I N E - VO L U M E 3 3

T HE 1 2 MI NUTE ATHLETE S T R Y K E R ,

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Growing up in Portland, Oregon, Krista Stryker never felt like she was the athletic type. She eased her way into the fitness world, and eventually got her start as a personal trainer for a popular gym franchise in New York. Stryker would push herself day-in and day-out doing cardio, weight and sports-specific training until she was mentally and physically over-trained. Not content with the results she was getting, Stryker discovered High-Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T.). Not only did she get fitter and leaner, but her strength and confidence levels skyrocketed. Before long, Stryker was achieving new heights in her physical training that she never thought possible. From burpees to push-ups to pull-ups, Stryker could do it all with her new physical capabilities and finesse. More importantly, she still had time and energy for sprints, hikes, and long runs. After seeing her own personal successes, in 2012 she launched the 12 Minute Athlete blog with the goal to reach more people than one-on-one personal training could offer. She created the platform to help everyone, no matter their fitness level, reach new physical heights that she knows they are capable of. Stryker wanted to help eliminate excuses and make working out accessible, regardless of location or access to equipment. Excited to share her knowledge with a wider audience, she launched her popular 12 Minute Athlete app a year later. Since the release of the app, 12 Minute Athlete has made a name for itself with 300,000 page views and 150,000 unique visitors per month. Due to its success, Stryker has been featured in popular publications such as Shape Magazine, Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, Muscle & Fitness HERS, Bodybuilding.com, The Washington Post, and has appeared on KTLA, Good Day New York, and Sirius XM’s The Michael Yo Show just to name a few. She was also named one of Athleta’s 100 Women to Watch in Wellness. Things aren’t slowing down for Stryker. She can now add author to her list of accomplishments with the release of her book, The 12 Minute Athlete: Get in the Best Shape of Your Life in 12 Minutes a Day. The book chronicles the personal challenges she faced to reach her fitness goals and her realization that anyone can be an athlete. It offers a wide range of workouts, tips to stay in shape, and some of her favorite recipes. It is available now on Amazon. When she is not busy promoting her app or her book, Stryker craves adventure and loves to travel. Her passion for exploring has allowed her to live in places such as Boston and New York. She has also spent time abroad, where she traveled to amazing places like Lisbon, Barcelona, New Amsterdam, and Brighton just to name a few. While on the go she still makes time to train, using these beautiful destinations as her backdrop. Stryker currently resides in Los Angeles. RAINE: From an early age your love for... KRISTA: From an early age my love for writing flourished allowing me to pursue a career in

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journalism and eventually start my own blog and publish my first book, The 12 Minute Athlete. RAINE: Can you describe your experiences and how they helped fine-tune your craft? KRISTA: I loved to write at an early age. Writing stories and papers always came fairly natural to me in school. When I graduated from college, I tried pursuing journalism for a bit but due to the recession at the time, I struggled finding a full-time job in the field. I started to learn some copywriting skills, and at the same time, began my interest in fitness. Years later, I started my first blog - a travel blog that went nowhere. After a couple of other failed blog attempts, I finally created 12 Minute Athlete and it stuck. RAINE: What’s been a funny behind the scenes moment that you could share? KRISTA: I like to film my workouts outside, and the amount of times I’ve just started filming and talking to the camera that a lawnmower starts right by me, is astounding. RAINE: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself 5 years ago? KRISTA: Choosing a path of creative entrepreneurship is not easy. There will be endless ups and downs, and there are times when you feel lost and alone. But compare this to a life where you’re stuck working for someone else or a company that you don’t believe in, where you hate every moment of your weekdays, then live for the weekends and your two weeks of vacation each year. No matter how hard it gets, it will be worth it. Keep going. RAINE: How would you describe a creative entrepreneur in your own words? KRISTA: Someone who is willing to think outside of the box, to continuously try new things and pivot when necessary, and to follow their passion(s). One thing I think a lot of creative entrepreneurs have in common is that they figure out a way to combine their various passions into one career or direction, they then pursue. For example, before I started 12 Minute Athlete, I knew that I loved to write, I loved fitness, and I wanted to be on my own schedule and travel the world without feeling stuck at a gym or to a 9 to 5 job. It took a lot of trial and error and experimentation, but eventually my pursuit of different interests led me to create the business I have today. RAINE: If you had to relate what you do to sports, how would you describe how you have followed, changed or distributed the game? KRISTA: I’ve made some great shots, but in recent years I’ve tried to get more intentional about my plays and my overall strategy for the game. RAINE: If someone asked you how could they stimulate their creativity, what advice would you give? KRISTA: I’ve been there. When I first started working towards my own business about seven

Photos by Tamara Muth King

K R I S T A

years ago, I actually thought I wasn’t a creative person. What changed for me was to read and learn as much as possible. Read as many books and audiobooks as you can get your hands on, take courses (online and in person), go to conferences, if there are some that interest you, find meetup groups with other interesting people - the list goes on. If you’re looking for a starter book on feeling like a creative professional, I highly recommend The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. RAINE: What three traits do you feel are most needed to pursue entrepreneurship? KRISTA: Self-motivation, resilience, creativity. RAINE: Have you ever faced the issue of burnout in your career? If so, how did you overcome it? KRISTA: Of course, I think every entrepreneur does. It’s a hard, lonely life at times to own your own business. I struggled with this a lot about four years into my business but overcame it when I realized there really wasn’t anything else I’d rather be doing with my life. RAINE: Name your top three hacks for battling the loneliness of entrepreneurship. KRISTA: Going to conferences, joining a mastermind (or having friends who are entrepreneurs), reading and learning constantly. RAINE: What wellness tips do you swear by? KRISTA: HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts. These are absolutely the best bang for your buck workouts, and you can do them even if you have barely any (or no) equipment, no gym, and very little space. Walk as much as possible. Walking helps clear your head, gets you outdoors, and is a great way to keep moving throughout the day. Lastly, the 80/20 rule of nutrition: aim to eat fairly healthy 80% of the time. The other 20% allow yourself to have a little more wiggle room. RAINE: What is your best advice in battling boredom in creative pursuits or creative entrepreneurship? KRISTA: One of the great things about being an entrepreneur is that you have the freedom to work on different projects whenever you want. If you find yourself getting bored with your business, just try introducing a new project to mix it up and diversify your brand or business. RAINE: What do you want to be when you grow up? Has this stayed the same or changed throughout the years? KRISTA: I want to be a fitness entrepreneur. This has definitely changed, not only was I not into fitness when I was growing up, but I never had any dreams of being an entrepreneur or owning my own business. RAINE: What major project coming up are you most excited about? KRISTA: We are currently in the process of revamping the 12 Minute Athlete app to make it accessible to even more people, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. RAINE: Who have been the most memorable people you have worked alongside and why?

KRISTA: As a more solo entrepreneur I’ve actually gotten a lot of my inspiration and advice from books. Some of the most impactful people and authors for me have been Chris Guillebeau, Tim Ferris, and Seth Godin. RAINE: Word to the wise: What advice would you lend to a budding talent on the rise in your chosen field? KRISTA: Don’t give up. Honestly, that’s my absolute best piece of advice. If you love what you do and believe in it 100%, then the key is really just to stick with it for a good amount of time (think years). All those “overnight successes” you think you see most likely have been working at the same thing for five or even 10 years. Also, read and learn as much as you possibly can. There are so many great resources out there such as books, courses, podcasts, documentaries, conferences - the list goes on. Try to make it a habit to always be learning something new. RAINE: What has been the most valuable tool in your arsenal of apps, gadgets or software? KRISTA: Hands down, my iPhone. Being able to work on my phone and not bring my laptop with me everywhere I go has been a huge game changer for me these past few years. I can write on it, take photos/videos, respond to customer inquiries - the list goes on. I also have an Apple Watch and have been more impressed with it than I thought I’d be. I like the notifications and easy viewing of my schedule. RAINE: What tech do you use to increase your productivity? Name up to 3 KRISTA: Asana and the Apple Reminders app are my two go to’s for productivity. RAINE: How does being an independent brand or artist allow you to have more creative freedom? KRISTA: Being my own boss and not relying on anyone else allows me to make all my own creative decisions, which is great, most of the time. Of course, this also means I have to constantly be selfmotivated to work and always be open to trying new tactics when the world changes. RAINE: Are there any plans to partner with a major celebrity, brand or organization in the future? If so, who is on your HOT list? KRISTA: I love working with brands and other people I admire and have a similar vision to. I’ve always wanted to work with Nike - I love their viewpoint that everybody is an athlete. I also like to partner with other trainers and healthminded people that have a slightly different expertise than I do. It’s always great learning from other people and it’s a lot of fun to be able to bounce ideas off of like-minded people and companies.

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RAINE: In regards to your unique selling advantage, explain how you made the choice to break the mold? KRISTA: When I was first starting 12 Minute Athlete about six years ago, high intensity interval training (HIIT) and bodyweight workouts were still fairly new to the public. This way of training changed my life and the lives of my clients. Helping people realize they can get a really great workout in, in less time and with minimal or no equipment, continues to be something I’m very passionate about sharing with the world. RAINE: Regarding fashion, what would you describe as your signature “look”? KRISTA: Definitely sportswear. If I’m not in workout clothes, I’m still wearing something pretty athletic such as skinny jeans, a tank top, and sneakers like Nike platform Air Force 1’s. RAINE: Do your fashion choices affect your success in meetings or pitches? KRISTA: Not really because I figure that at this point people expect me to be in mostly fitness clothes so I don’t go out of my comfort zone too much for meetings. I tend to dress pretty simply with lots of blacks and whites with a touch of jewelry for an accent. You’ll definitely never see me in heels over 2” tall, with the exception of wedges. I need to be able to move and do a handstand if necessary. RAINE: Who have been some of your fashion role models that have inspired your current style? KRISTA: Rihanna, hands down. She’s my idol. RAINE: What is the biggest problem that creative face today and how would you solve it? KRISTA: Probably loneliness. Technology is amazing and it’s incredible that as an entrepreneur, you can basically work from anywhere. But with that comes a sense of disconnection and feeling like you’re all alone. There’s no easy answer to solving this, but I’ve definitely found that seeking out conferences, joining a mastermind of likeminded people, or even working with a business coach can help tremendously. The key is to seek out connection as often as possible, especially if you work from home alone. RAINE: What are your thoughts about crypto currency? KRISTA: I’m still in the wait and see mode when it comes to crypto currency. I think it has potential, but as we’ve seen it’s prone to ups and downs and won’t be stable anytime in the near future. RAINE: What is your favorite city for work and play and why? KRISTA: I recently moved to Venice Beach in Los Angeles and I’m a pretty big fan. I spend most of my time outdoors, working out on the beach, and walking/biking around the area. If I do want to get out and do something more cultural, there is all of L.A. to explore. I used to live in New York City and while I love it for so many reasons, for day to day living, Los Angeles really can’t be beat.

To survive in entrepreneurship or life, one must be able to bend like a bamboo tree. If your are flexible enough, nothing can break you. -Nova Lorraine

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