Spring is (technically) here, and we’ve been working hard at home, clearing away clutter, reorganizing our wardrobe, and simply trying to get things in tip top shape. Are you in spring cleaning mode, too? That’s where these ideas come in: put everyday products you have lying around the house to good use with these easy cleaning hacks.

For a sparkling shine
If ever you’re out of glass cleaner, reach for your beau’s shaving cream to clean the mirror, instead. This will also help keep your mirror fog-free. However, opt for the white foam kind, not gel.

Looking to clean a wine decanter or flower vase? Pour in some water and a bit of dish detergent, then add a spoonful of uncooked rice and swish it around. The hard grains will help remove stains off the hard-to-reach spots.

Give your kitchen and bathroom faucets a shine using baby oil. Clean them first to get the bulk of the dirt off, rinse with water, and let dry. Then, dab just a small amount of baby oil onto a clean cloth, and rub it evenly over the surface. Remove any excess oil with another clean cloth, and you’re done! Out of floor cleaner? Add a few spoonfuls of dish soap to a big bucket of warm water, and use the mix to clean your floors.

Scuffs, scratches and stains
Use the meat of a shelled walnut to treat scratches on your wooden furniture. Use circular motions and move the walnut back and forth along the scratch, then let its oils work their magic and fill it in.

Use mayonnaise to remove scratches from hardwood floors and wooden furniture. It’s a good idea to use oil cleaner to first clean the surface you want to treat. Then, apply a medium layer of mayonnaise onto the scratch and let it sit for approximately five minutes before wiping it clean with a cloth.

Use a paste made from water and baking soda and use it to clean scuff marks off your wall by applying it and then rubbing with a clean cloth.

Dish soap is your friend when it comes to removing grease stains from your clothes: simply apply to the stain, let it sit for a few minutes, and toss your garment into the washing machine.

Small pieces, closed spaces
Buy an inexpensive toothbrush (or use an old one) and use it to clean items that have small crevices; try this on everything from remote controls to light switches, and intricate dishes.

Have some tarnished silver jewellery lying around? Grab your tube of toothpaste, squeeze a small quantity onto a rag, and use it to polish your silver.

Another household item that can be used to polish silver is glass cleaner: simply spray some on your tarnished jewellery and gently scrub with an old toothbrush.

If your kitchen or craft scissors need a good cleaning, reach for a cloth dipped in regular white vinegar, and simply wipe your blades clean.

Another great use for vinegar is to use it to clean your microwave. Add equal parts water and vinegar to a bowl and microwave for three to four minutes. When heated, the steam created by the mix will loosen any particles of food stuck inside the microwave. Carefully take the bowl out (caution: it will be very hot!) and simply wipe the walls clean.

The post 13 Surprising Cleaning Hacks appeared first on DIVINE.

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

-3.5 lb bone-in skin-on turkey breast

-3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

-1 cup thinly sliced onions

-1 cup grape tomatoes

-1 Tbsp sliced garlic

-¼ cup brandy or white wine

-1 cup water or poultry stock

-1 Tbsp sliced sage

-1 tsp chopped thyme

-kosher salt

-black pepper

Directions:

1. Pat the turkey breast dry with a paper towel and season on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the pan and put the turkey breast on the skin side down. Cook the breast for 5 minutes, flip and cook for 5 more minutes. Take the turkey breast out of the pan, set aside and turn the heat down to medium.
3. Add the remaining olive oil and the onion to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds or so. Add in the tomatoes and garlic and cook for another minute.
4. Add the brandy, cook for about a minute or until it has mostly evaporated, then add the water or stock and the herbs.
5. Return the turkey breast to the pan, let the water or stock come to a boil, put a lid on the pan, turn the heat to low and simmer for 35 minutes or until the turkey’s internal temperature reaches 165°f. Check the pan every 10 minutes as you may need to add a little more liquid.
6. Take the turkey out of the pan and set it aside to rest for 10 minutes. The sauce should be the consistency of a thick salsa. If it is too watery, put it back on the heat for a minute or two. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper as needed.
7. Remove the bone from the turkey breast and discard. Thinly slice the breast and serve with the sauce on top.

NUTRI TABLE:

Calories: 346

Protein 50 g

Carbs 6 g

Fat 12 g

Sodium 684 mg

Recipe courtesy of Think Turkey.

The post Pan-Roasted Turkey Breast with Tomato Herb Sauce appeared first on DIVINE.

What positive changes have you seen for women in your 20 plus years in show business and what still needs work?

When I flash back to my humble beginnings in Philadelphia and New York City, there were so few female directors and producers at that time. About 18 years ago, I moved from New York to Hollywood and launched my company (Philly Chick Pictures) with the intention of creating more work for myself as an actress. There were so few female producers that people would tell me that I was a visionary for doing this on my own. It was unique at that time to be a female producer, especially in the independent world.

Eighteen years later, it is the norm now, especially in the independent film and TV world. That being said, I still feel that women statistically in the entertainment industry do not have equal pay and that needs to change. There are not enough female TV and film executives from Hollywood to Canada to New York, Atlanta, etc. If we could get more female leadership in executive roles, I feel that it would trickle down to where we are not just hiring women for the sake of hiring them, but for their vision and powerful creative judgment.

I don’t believe in hiring by quota. I believe in hiring by talent and merit – women or men, it doesn’t make a difference. But it is important to have more emphasis on female executives so that vision can trickle down to every aspect of the entertainment industry.

You have mentioned in the past that sci-fi/horror genres embrace women of all different beauty types. Why do they embrace all different types of women? Why do you think other genres are taking so long to come around?

As an actress who has done a lot of mainstream work over the years, I chose to embrace my notoriety in the horror world. The horror community as a whole is an interesting, unique community,  similar to the soap opera world, both internally and with our fan-base. I have battled with my own body image and am a celebrity ambassador for the Breaking the Chains Foundation where we deal with eating disorders and self-esteem issues including body dysmorphia.

I segue there, because the horror world embraced me and I always was drawn to it because it goes back to the Bettie Page/pin-up era. Women were curvy, voluptuous and it was embraced. The horror/thriller/Sci-Fi industry seems to welcome women who are not your typical Hollywood starlet who are very thin. Just to be clear, I don’t judge any body type. They embrace women of all body types, ethnicities and there is more inclusivity.

From a pop cultural level, I feel the reason for that is because horror and Sci-Fi viewers and fan base are a bit off the beaten path. They are a more unique viewership where it is not just a mainstream embracing of a June Cleaver type from the old-school days of the Hollywood standard of what a woman should be like, look like. It broadens the scope overall. From my viewpoint, women in horror have each other’s backs, no matter what. It is also true of the genres that we discussed.

To answer the second portion of the question, and know that I am a proponent of female empowerment, we still haven’t fully evolved in the traditional entertainment industry. We have to graduate to that place where we, as women no longer judge one another. Women still get stuck in a compare and contrast mentality. We get caught up in competition, and I’m guilty of it too. As much as I work on myself, and I’m a board-certified life coach, I own that I do it too, but I’ve trained myself to catch when I get caught up in it. As women, we sometimes get caught up in a scarcity consciousness and if we can move forward and acknowledge this within ourselves and not get caught up in the chatter and negativity, I think that we can graduate to a grand scale of success and really grow.

How did becoming a life-coach change how you work as an actress/producer?

When the economy crashed, everything changed. For the first time in my adult life, I lost everything. I lost my investors in my production company and I had to face how to support myself as a single actress in Hollywood, which is a very expensive city. I became a board-certified life coach with the intention of supporting myself. I was challenged by the Hollywood industry saying that you are an indie starlet, very well known in horror/sci-fi genre films – how can you possibly be a positive role model to women and teen girls? I decided to show them. You want to challenge me? I’ll face adversity and show you.

It changed me, opened my eyes and taught me so much as a woman in general, but also as an actress, as a producer as someone who was committed to empowerment. I catch myself daily in my hot mess moments and still work with my coaches so that I can be as healthy I can be mentally and spiritually to help others.

In my book, “Coaching From a Professed Hot Mess” – I write that we are all perfectly imperfect. We need to embrace it. We are each a hot mess at any point of the day and I learned to embrace and own this and use it to help others. For actresses and artists out there, twenty-something years later, I’m still fearful and anxious when I walk into a TV executive/producer session. I can still feel like I’m not good enough, I’m not tall enough, I’m not skinny enough or seasoned enough. BUT coaching helps me to catch myself so that I can face my fears and step into them powerfully. It has helped me in every aspect of my life and career.

You have had a lot of different roles – actress, producer, writer, philanthropist and more. What is your most meaningful role and why?

If I have to answer from my soul, being an actress has been my dream since childhood. Every other aspect of the career that you just mentioned has been inspired by my acting career. When I have been down and out financially and had to create other jobs, become a life coach, become a producer, create my production company, it is all so that I can further my acting career. I was not spoon-fed anything. I did not come from a celebrity family in Hollywood, I truly did it on my own.

Being a very active philanthropist is important to me. I am committed to living as humble a life as I can. I believe in giving back and paying it forward so that every little bit of fame and notoriety that I have worked for and earned has been from a position of philanthropy. It’s something that has been at the forefront of my life and career, but has become even more important during the pandemic and isolation.

Before the pandemic, I was constantly working 18-hour days working as an actress/producer, doing media appearances, walking red carpets and feeling blessed to do so. I sat back during the pandemic and watched so many people suffering – close friends and business associates losing everything. I’m only newly married, so I know what it’s like to be a single woman working and sacrificing for my dreams and lately, I’ve been concentrating more on philanthropy and see how I can give back in a bigger way with a lot of different charities. This includes everything from the Actor’s Fund to helping frontline workers and first responders to the Breaking The Chains Foundation.

You pursued your dream. What advice do you have for people who can’t take the constant rejection that goes along with it?

To be brutally honest, I am just a fighter. When you grow up facing adversity, being a child experiencing chaos of any kind [my parents divorced when I was two] including chronic health issues from a young age, you learn to be scrappy. I have learned to be tenacious and find inner strength. We all face challenges and adversity in life.

One of the most powerful things that I have learned from coaching and from all of my power of mind courses over many years is choosing. I speak about it in my coaching book for adults and in [my other book] “Ms. Vampy’s Teen Tawk: There’s A Lotta Power In Ya Choices”. When I spoke to teen girls and asked them if they had to pick one issue that they are most challenged with what would it be? I assumed that they would talk about their body and dating issues but the foremost answer was that they were horrified about making the wrong choices.

There is power in your choices and with every choice there is a consequence. A consequence resonates with us as a negative thing, but it is a positive thing. All it means is that with every choice that we make, there is a result and whether it is good or bad, is really up to us. We have more power than we think. When presented with a question, situation or opportunity, write down your options. I have been doing this my whole life and I have fallen on my face and failed miserably.

I have failed with my choices in men that I have dated, in the choices of projects that I have taken as an actress and producer, but I have learned so much from those failures and mistakes. What we want to do is take that learning and choose not to make the same mistakes again. When you are facing fears and down and out – just remember not to compare yourself to others. Be you, be fearless and vamp it out! That’s how to face everything from your day-to-day problems, to your goals and dreams.

People assume that show business is all glamour all of the time, but there are many challenges. What happens when you are working on a project where you are both acting and producing?

I say this when I coach women a lot, you can have it all, but you can’t have it all at the same time. I do believe that producing, in general, is one of the hardest jobs in the world. As a producer, I have put blood, sweat and tears to create my passion projects and to continue to be an actress. I firmly believe that if I had not become a producer, I never, as an unknown actress would never have been offered the lead or supporting roles that I have been given.

Producing is, in and of itself, an 18-hour day. For example, when I found the script for “The Sinatra Club” in 2004, I developed it with a team of producers, then we shot it in 2009 and distributed it in 2011. It was seven years of my life for a $2million indie film that I thought was worthy. It takes a ton of time, energy and sacrifice. I can only speak from my own experience, but when you are working as a producer and actress, some aspect suffers.

When I think back to “iMurders”, for example, we had such a strenuous schedule and hardworking team. We were working with notable veteran actors like Gabrielle Anwar, Billy Dee Williams, Charles Durning and the list goes on and on. As an executive producer, I had to be at the top of my game and I allowed the producing stress to interfere in my acting performance. It is one of the worst acting performances that I’ve ever given, but that’s on me. I learned from it and I hope that from that point on, I did better work as an actress.

I went into future projects where I have had to really vamp it out, be fearless, step into my power as an actress and not let what was happening on set interfere with my performance. I had to clear the chatter in my mind. This happened recently with an amazing TV pilot that I was an executive producer on and one of the leads, which was “Stripped” with Casper Van Dien. It’s a project that I’m very proud of that will be coming to streaming services this year.

We went through the trenches as producers on this low-budget project. It was created by Mark Clebanoff and the amazing late actor Kristoff St. John. Kristoff St. John died shortly before we began production, That gives an indication of what the cast and crew were facing emotionally. This time, the producing part suffered a little bit, but I’m so happy that I learned from my past lessons. I’m proud of myself because I didn’t let what was going on behind the scenes affect my acting. The role was created for me by Clebanoff and St. John – and how many actresses can say that they have a role created for them? I’m just so proud of this project.

Just remember that you are sacrificing things at all time. You need to stand in your power, even through fear. Face it and don’t let one side of acting and producing, or whatever your dream is, affect the other.

What is next for you?

I took off two years from acting and producing to create my dream wedding at the Houdini Estate. It was incredible. The irony was that I never expected to be met with opportunities so quickly afterward, but I was. After the wedding, I just dove into opportunities and I think I manifested them because I was so hungry to do what I love and act again. I’ve been fortunate throughout this pandemic unlike a lot of my peers and I’m so sad about that.

We are in post-production on “Stripped”. Another dear friend and creator Joshua Butler came to me and we shot a proof of concept for a horror/psychological thriller called “Red Rooms” and we produced it through Philly Chick Pictures.  I followed up with him in March 2020 when the pandemic hit so that we could stay creative. We filmed an entire streaming series throughout the pandemic. We shot, had rehearsals with our actors and did every single bit of this virtually. It was a learning curve and will be released this year.

In November of 2020, I was hired to executive produce, help create and act in a project titled “The Second Age of Aquarius” with Staci Layne Wilson who also created “Psycho Therapy” for me. Darren Smith of “Repo”, for all of the horror fans out there, was a co-creator on this indie film. It is filled with heart and ingenuity and I’m so proud of it. It is a comedy/sci-fi with a lot of music. I got to play Tawny Stevens, the mother to the lead, Christina Jacquelyn Calph.

I have been doing a lot of charity work and had the honour of being a judge for the New York EMMYs. I’ve also been chosen to be a judge for Shriekfest’s 20^th Anniversary – one of the biggest horror festivals in the world. I was recently selected to the Phillytainment Celebrity Hall of Fame in my hometown of Philadelphia so I’m very excited about that.

It’s been hard work – and I’ve been staying home and staying healthy and even had to turn down work. Remember to choose people, projects, philanthropy and read an empowering online magazine like DIVINE that offers positivity. It’s about choosing positive messages when we are dealing with challenges, sadness and adversity.

Who inspires you?

My two icons are Elizabeth Taylor and Mae West because these two women faced a lot of challenges – from health to men to careers. I feel like I’m connected to them in some weird Hollywood way. Mae West was my height and body type, very short and voluptuous. She was a mouthy broad back in the day who fought the boys’ club and broke through the system.

So did Elizabeth Taylor who was more powerful than Hollywood gives her credit for. Look at all that she did as a philanthropist for AIDS. These are two women that I look up to and love. I look for icons that are a little bit off the beaten path that are a bit quirky in some way and are outside of the Hollywood norm but have broken through. That is who really inspires me.

The post #WomenInspiringWomen: Actress, Producer, Writer Brooke Lewis Bellas appeared first on DIVINE.

Ask Them for References

If your realtor is doing good work in the community, people know about it.

Select a Full-Time Realtor

There are 50,000 real estate agents in Ontario alone. Less than half of those realtors are doing the majority of the transactions. A lot of part-time realtors hold their license and may only work, for the most part, with friends and family. Full-time realtors live and breathe real estate. If you are dealing with a part-time agent, they often have another full-time job and they may not always be able to be responsive to you. There are many hobby realtors out there and you want to hire someone who is going to be 100% committed to you.

Your Realtor Should Be Connected

You should work with someone that has access to the people that you need to run your home in the future. You  can easily get ripped off when it comes to big ticket items like construction or furnace replacements if you are inexperienced or do not know the right questions to ask.  A good realtor will either know or have connections to people who know what the standard pricing is. They will be able to get quotes from small businesses that they have relationships with.

A realtor can act as your consultant because you can run into problems with a home at any time and they will be there for you, even when the transaction is over. Their network can help build your network and this is invaluable to a home-owner.

Your Realtor Should Be Good Communicator

Communication style is important. Work with someone who is interested in what you are telling them. A good realtor uses their listening skills to take what you have told them, process it and turn it into the result that you are looking for. Some inexperienced realtors do not listen and try to impose their wishes onto the client. That’s not the way that the relationship works. It is about finding out what your client desires and finding that balance between accepting the truth about the market and what they can really afford and having some of what they want in the property.  You want to have that connection where you can text your realtor and they will be responsive. You should feel like you are a priority.

The post Monique Johnson: How to Pick the Right Realtor for You appeared first on DIVINE.

Serves: 5-6

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

-3lb boneless turkey breast roast

-3½ Tbsp crushed chipotle peppers

-4 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

-¼ cup maple syrup

-3 Tbsp Dijon mustard

-3 ½ Tbsp olive oil

-2 ½ Tbsp garlic, minced

-3 tsp onion powder

-2 tsp black pepper

-2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium-sized bowl mix thoroughly chipotle peppers, fresh rosemary, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic, onion powder, black pepper and salt.
3. Rub a generous amount of the seasoning paste all over the turkey roast.
4. Place the turkey roast on a roasting pan and transfer it into the oven.
5. Roast the turkey for approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
6. Allow the roast to rest for 8 – 10 minutes before slicing.

Tip

If using frozen turkey roast, thaw it out before seasoning.

NUTRI TABLE:

Calories: 300

Protein 41 g

Carbs 10 g

Fat 9 g

Sodium 1073 mg

Recipe courtesy of Think Turkey.

The post Chipotle Rosemary Herb Turkey Roast Recipe appeared first on DIVINE.

Serves: 2

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

-1 lb boneless, skinless turkey breast

-¼ tsp sea salt

-¼ tsp black pepper

-½ tsp poultry seasoning

-4-5 thin slices of pineapple

-1 Tbsp whole dried cranberries

-¼ cup pineapple juice

– 2 Tbsp honey

-2 tsp Dijon mustard

-1 Tbsp tamari

-2 Tbsp coconut sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F. Place the turkey breast into a baking dish. Season with sea salt, black pepper and poultry seasoning. Place pineapple slices evenly over the turkey breast so that it is fully covered. Fill any remaining spaces on the turkey breast, including in the holes on the pineapple, with dried cranberries. Place in the oven to roast; set a timer for 20 minutes.
2. While the turkey is roasting, make the glaze. Add the pineapple juice, honey, dijon mustard, tamari and coconut sugar to a small saucepan on medium-high heat. Use a whisk to combine and stir frequently to dissolve the coconut sugar while the mixture heats up. Once it reaches a simmer, turn the heat down to medium-low for about 5 minutes, or until the glaze reaches a syrup consistency. Once finished, remove from the heat and set aside.
3. After 20 minutes, remove the turkey breast from the oven and use a pastry brush to spread about 2 tbsp of the glaze all over. Place the pan back in the oven to roast for another 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature on the turkey breast reaches 165F.
4. Once the turkey breast is fully cooked, remove it from the oven and brush another 2 tbsp of the glaze over top. Place back in the oven and broil for 2-5 minutes, or until the pineapple begins to caramelize.
5. Remove the turkey from the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with extra pineapple slices and glaze on the side. Enjoy!

Tip:

For even more flavour, make a separate batch of the glaze to marinate the turkey breast overnight. Add glaze ingredients to a bowl with the turkey breast and let it marinate for up to 24 hours in the fridge. Discard the marinade and make a new batch of the glaze for roasting.

NUTRI TABLE:

Calories: 410

Protein 57 g

Carbs 39 g (36 g sugar)

Fat 2 g

Sodium 1026 mg

Recipe courtesy of Think Turkey.

The post Pineapple Glazed Turkey Breast Recipe appeared first on DIVINE.

Proponents of VR hardware felt like the time had come for their devices to show real-world applications. Ralph Hollister, Global Data analyst for tourism, said that VR could finally shake off its image of being a mere gimmick. As the first quarter of 2021 is about to close, has virtual reality tourism become a thing?

No VR explosion but virtual entertainment surged

So far, the boom in VR use for tourism has not happened. Microsoft’s Hololens and other VR equipment have not become popular yet. Other virtual reality and augmented reality products have yet to take off.

However, there was a notable surge in online or virtual entertainment. Video streaming, online games, and mobile apps saw notable growth at the height of the pandemic. Even the online gambling market experienced a boom. Casinos have improved their offerings to attract more customers and improve their services. Of note, signing up to a new casino is easier than ever before.

The online entertainment spike is not expected to slow down anytime soon. According to Mashable, the live streaming boom is unlikely to slow down soon. Roku saw revenues increase by 58% during the 2020 holiday quarter. The live streaming industry nearly doubled year-on-year in 2020. The video gaming industry became bigger than the movie industry during the pandemic. Similarly, the online casino market experienced double-digit growth while COVID-19 was raging.

Virtual reality tourism did not break out into a game-changing new factor in the entertainment and recreation market. There are no authoritative market figures reported about VR tourism, most likely because it did not explode into the kind of paradigm-shifting development some expected. However, other forms of digital or virtual entertainment made significant strides.

Not a complete flop

The failure of VR tech to go big and serve as a practical substitute for traditional tourism does not mean failure. The majority of businesses did not turn to VR to provide virtual travel and tourism alternatives, but some did. This is a good enough step towards more widespread VR tech adoption in the tourism industry.

Some hotels like Atlantis Dubai have already started offering virtual reality tours of their rooms. Some provide a virtual booking interface. Marriott Hotels has been using VR to offer virtual honeymoon packages. Qantas features a 360-degree virtual reality visit to Hamilton Island. A handful of other companies have already started exploring the practical applications of VR tech.

Virtual reality travel and tourism still has massive room for growth and it is slowly gaining attention. The new experiences offered by tourism companies are excellent ways to showcase the benefits of VR technology. The possibility of viable virtual reality tourism is far from over.

The post What Happened to Virtual Reality Tourism? appeared first on DIVINE.

What inspired you for to start your own business?
Before launching Life Lapse, I was an in-house video marketer producing brand videos while also freelancing as a videographer on the side. I always knew I wanted to build something that had global impact with my skillset in video. At this time, video was beginning to be introduced on social media platforms and was growing fast. I recognized how important it was for brands to have video integrated into their marketing strategies for brand and product storytelling but as I was freelancing, I noticed that small businesses didn’t have the budget to hire professional videographers. When you are wearing 10 different hats in your business, choosing where to hire help is hard and content creation was low on the priority list.

iPhone cameras were reaching impressive quality and I knew a mobile app was my way to help these small businesses. I took the leap to start Life Lapse and the journey began to democratize video creation with a phone and an app. Life Lapse is a stop motion app that allows small businesses, creators and influencers to make eye catching videos for social media. Since launching three years ago, I’m proud to say we have almost 2 million users worldwide and I have been able to build something that has scaled on a global level thanks to our availability on the Apple App Store.

What differentiates your brand/product from the rest?
Life Lapse is the only stop motion app in the app store that is built for businesses to create content for social media. Some key differentiators include the Academy where users can learn stop motion and how to use it for their business, one-click resizing for social media, hundreds of royalty-free music for marketing use and more.

Traditionally, creating stop motion videos is a tedious process or you would have to hire a professional with the gear to create it which includes a camera but also stop motion software and computer equipment. Life Lapse saves users thousands of dollars when it comes to creating stop motion videos and also simplifies this process so users can learn, create and edit stop motions with their phones 10X faster.

Do you have a life motto?
Don’t overthink it and just do it.

Tell us about the reality of your industry.
Women continue to be underrepresented in tech and the mobile app space, but I continue to see improvement with each year I’m in business. With the app industry, it’s difficult to build your brand and a rapport with your users because users are not provided with a lot of information about the developers and vice versa. Oftentimes, users don’t think about who is behind the app – a similar scenario that e-commerce retailers face too.

I stepped into the tech world quite naively since I didn’t have a technical background. I may not have followed the traditional steps when it comes to building technology and a start-up, but I have learned along the way. In my experience, I have always been the only woman in the room at events but as the world is aware of bias and making a conscious effort to change this, I believe it’s a great time for more women to get into tech as more opportunities and support are provided to us.

What’s the one product that’s always in your purse?
My iPhone.

What is a fact about you that would surprise others?
Nothing! I’m an open book.

What changes concerning women would you like to see in 2021?
I would like to see more representation, especially for female founders in the funding community to make capital more accessible for female owned businesses. While 40% of businesses are owned by women, only 2.3% receive funding for their businesses. This number declined 27% from 2019 to 2020, I’m assuming due to the burden of unpaid labor and expectation to homeschool and be the primary caretaker for elderly family members along with other pandemic transitions.

I met with a handle of VC’s when my numbers started to skyrocket about 1.5 years after launch. The response was “come back when you reach $X in ARR”. I hit those targets within 1.5 months, followed up and never heard back. After that, I fueled the rejection into growing the business with our own profits and have continued to bootstrap my business. Was I rejected because I was a female? I have no idea. What do I know is that when meeting with investors, they were men. When I was at pitch events, I was the only female pitching.

(Source: https://news.crunchbase.com/news/global-vc-funding-to-female-founders/ )

What advice would you like to give to today’s women?
Surround yourself with people who support you. If you believe you can do it, you can. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise and take a step back from the nay-sayers in your life. I would not be where I am today without the support of my husband, family and friends. Being an entrepreneur comes with a lot of doubt and imposter syndrome. You have to take major risks. If you don’t have cheerleaders by your side who believe in you, it will make the battle that much harder.

Follow Sarah here:

Website: www.lifelapseapp.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lifelapse_app
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LifeLapseStopMotionApp
Download: https://lifelapse.app.link/sU0fsCIQxeb

The post #WomenInspiringWomen: Sarah Boland, LifeLapse Founder & CEO appeared first on DIVINE.

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Buckled fabric blazer, $79.99 at H&M

Ines de la Fressange silk shirt for Uniqlo, $79.90

Dynamite bubble satin T-shirt, $34.95

Moss Front Slit Faux Leather Skirt, $245 at Nordstrom

New Balance Cap, $29.99

Columbia Aurora Dry Shoes, $180 online

Angel of Mine satin dress, $92 on TOBI

Striped tunic, $29 at Penningtons

Lambert OLIVIA backpack, $129 online

Rachel Skinny Pants from Yoga Jeans, $138

Leather jacket M0851, $596

Cat eye sunglasses, $16.95 on Bizou

Twenty Compass necklace set, $70 online

Adidas Stan Smith Shoes, $100 on SSense

Twik denim dress, $59 at Simons

Linen Jumpsuit, $49.90 at Uniqlo

Noize’s IVAN vegan leather coat, $149

Fringe top, $52 on TOBI

Levi’s Graphic Surf T-Shirt, $29.95 online at L’Equipeur

Jeane & Jax’s TIA tote bag, $80 online

Knotted jumpsuit , $59.99 at La Vie en Rose

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Clue

One of the few board games that includes characters, Clue can inspire your makeup look in several ways, from the natural face of Mrs. Peacock to the red lipstick of Miss Scarlett. It doesn’t come as a surprise that these looks could be used when attending virtual Murder Mystery nights, which have become increasingly popular over the years. MAC is renowned for having lipsticks that are both smooth and long-lasting, which means that you can find your perfect shade to act as Miss Scarlett for the evening on their website https://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/. With a range of different shades of red, opting for a deeper colour would go a long way to fit into the mysterious theme, perfect for guessing whodunnit.

Online Casino

There are two ways that you can go here – either you choose the dramatic look often worn in casinos as demonstrated by characters in films like James Bond, which you can see at https://www.thegentlemansjournal.com/, or you can opt for a quirkier look by using your favourite slot machine as your inspiration. For the former, take inspiration from the film Casino Royale where female characters can be seen wearing a dramatic smoky eye with bold red lipstick. Paired with a figure-hugging ball gown, this look would be perfect when attending a glamorous ball.

As for the latter look, stray away from opulence and turn to eccentric, perhaps more suited to a themed event that requires a pop of colour, like 80’s dress, a games night, or a festival. Using https://ca.fruitkings.com/ as inspiration with their plethora of bonuses on slot machines like Starburst and Treasure Mine, it’s easy to see that slot machines are renowned for their extensive colour palette. For your slot machine inspired makeup look, think neon eyeliner and bright pink lipstick. If you wanted to tailor your look to a particular online casino game like Roulette, then once again, colours can be your main inspiration, keeping with the theme of black and red.

Mario Kart

So, we’ve covered a board game and an online game, now we’re onto classic console games. Unlike the balls, festivals, and games nights we’ve previously mentioned that would suit your game inspired makeup look, this look would be much more suited to a themed-party, much like Halloween. Taking a look at https://www.nintendo.com/ and Mario Kart’s two staple characters, Mario and Luigi, all you need is a splash of red and green, and if you really want to go all out, a dab of eyeliner can be used to create a moustache. If you are a huge Mario Kart fan, and just want to use the colours to inspire your make up look, use green eyeliner and that red lip.

So, there you have it, using your favourite game to inspire your make up look can create an authentic or quirky look that can be used for any occasion.

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