Out To Play

On this week’s show you are going to hear from Cal McNeil who is a program manager at the CFDA,  the Council of Fashion Designers of America. In our conversation Cal shares how he made his way from Iowa to New York, how he landed sought after jobs once he got there, how he learned how to overdeliver within his positions and how that ultimately led him to the dream position now at the CFDA.   In this episode Cal talks about the importance of mentors and how they’ve influenced his life. Cal talks about what he learned from his first few jobs within the industry, as well as what his experience has been like working at the CFDA. And of course Cal shares some extremely value & actionable advice for anyone who wants to go after what they want. Whether that learning how to land a position at the CFDA or how to partner with the CFDA as a designer - he generously shares so much great information. So you really don’t want to miss this episode!Ps. If you are inspired by Cal’s story, and if this episode resonated with you, I want to hear about it. So send me a message on my Instagram @kaylaconklin and I’d love to connect with you. Alright take care everyone! 

Hey! So I’ve taken a break over the past few weeks from releasing podcast episodes, and I wanted to do that in order to create space for everything thing that has been going on in our world - The killing of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter protests, and for everything that has been happening with the Coronavirus.  There’s been a lot to learn and process, and so taking a break from releasing podcasts just felt right. But it’s not like any of these things are over, and we all have a lot to work on. It’s our responsibility to keep learning and educating ourselves and to be considerate of those around us. We all are processing everything that is happening differently. But I wanted to come back and connect with you, and this week I am going to switch things up a little bit. I’m going to tell you the 3 reasons why all of my guests have been able to accomplish their goals. And this applies to everyone and every single interview I’ve done. I’ve gone through each episodes and have pulled out all of the patterns and themes from each and so I'm excited to share everything with you in this episode! Ps. if this episode resonated with you, then I want you to send me a message on my Instagram (@kaylaconklin) and let me know your thoughts.I would love to hear from you! Thanks for listening!  XxStay tuned for some amazing interviews coming up within the next few weeks!Tori Lord - Founder of Topknot Inc. - an innovate activewear brand.https://topknotinc.comKristine Deer who is Founder and CEO of K-Deer - a very well known luxury activewear brand. https://www.k-deer.comCal McNeil who is a program manager at the CFDA - which is the council of fashion designers of America. https://cfda.com/

#008 - On this week’s show you are going to hear from one of my good friends, Peyton Tillman. Peyton and I work together in New York and in this episode we walk through Peyton's journey so far within the fashion industry and we also talk about how Covid has shaken everything up. And even throughout all of the uncertainty, Peyton is still her positive, uplifting self, and maybe even more driven than ever! In this episode Peyton provides some great advice for how to approach interviewing, how to start new a business and how to incorporate more creativity into your life - even under these uncertain circumstances. Peyton is a great example of someone who isn’t afraid to be herself and be bold. Interested in a stylish mask? Find them here at - taylortillmanny.com.Thanks for listening! Enjoy! 

#007 - On this week’s show you are going to hear from Elizabeth Torres who has had a very successful career in fashion, as she’s worked as a Professor at Parsons School of Design for over 20 years. In our conversation Elizabeth walks us through many of the ups and downs that she experienced throughout her journey so far within the fashion industry. In this episode we dig into many of the key lessons that Elizabeth has learned overtime throughout her fashion positions within corporate as well as freelance opportunities. We also talk about her experience working as a Professor at two of the top fashion schools - FIT & Parsons. Elizabeth generously offers some valuable advice for anyone who is looking to succeed within the fashion industry and how to believe in yourself along the way. So thank you all for listening! Here is our conversation! 

#006 - On this weeks show you are going to hear from Céline Haddad who is a fashion designer committed to running her own brand and passionate about doing whatever it takes to make it a success. In our conversation we talk about how Céline followed her dream of becoming a fashion designer, what it was like  participating in Vancouver fashion week, and then we dig into how Céline continues to grow and push herself to accomplish whatever she wants.In this episode Céline talks about how she thrived in fashion school even though she didn’t know how to sew, what it was like navigating the fashion industry in New York as an international student, and Céline shares some great advice on how to be open to learning as you pursue your dreams. So stay tuned! Here is our conversation.Thank you all for listening! If you like what you’re hearing let me know by leaving a rating and a review! Thank you all so much again for being here. I hope you have a wonderful day! 

#005 - On this weeks show you are going to hear from Coco Hewitt, who was so fun to talk to and she’s actually one of my good friends who I went to Parsons with. In our conversation we walk through Coco’s journey of how she landed a job in the fashion industry and how she pushed through moments of uncertainty to ultimately go after what she wanted. In this episode we talk a lot about how to have confidence and how to put yourself out there as you pursue your first internship and job within the fashion industry. Coco gives us some great perspective about what it was like studying fashion at Parsons, and then how she continued to navigate the fashion industry from there. So thank you all for being here! Enjoy!

#004 - On this week's show you are going to hear from Anya Ferring who was a joy to talk to! Anya's had great experience working in a few industries, but she’s currently pursuing her dream of working in fashion as she works as a Product Development and Local Supply Chain Specialist at Factory 8. Anya walks us through her journey of how she transitioned from a serious research career in DC to learning how to have more fun and pursue a career in fashion in New York City. In this episode Anya shares why she didn’t take fashion seriously at first, what her experience was like going back to school to pursue fashion, how she spontaneously started a magazine with some friends that got her instantly connected in the industry and so theres so much more. So stay tuned, here is our conversation! And thank you all for listening to this episode. If you like what you hear please be sure to leave us a rating or review where ever you get your podcasts!

#003 - On this week's show you are going to hear from Mary Violet Woosley, who is a fashion designer passionate about sustainable design. In our conversation Mary Violet tells us about what inspired her to get into fashion, what it was like going to Parsons School of Design, and then we dive deep into what it was like for her to land her first internship and grow within the fashion industry from there.In this episode Mary Violet shares some great actionable advice about how to put yourself out there, land jobs, network, and get more involved in showcases and competitions, and theres so much more! So stay tuned! 

#002 - On this week's show you are going to hear from Katie Casano, who is a great example of someone who puts themselves out there and has had a lot of success as she continues to be bold and go after what she wants. Katie’s been working in the fashion industry for over a decade as a womenswear fashion designer. She’s worked for luxury brands like Nanette Lepore, Marchesa, and Yoana Baraschi, and now she’s currently working as a professor teaching fashion design at Philadelphia University. In this episode Katie shares some great actionable advice and lessons that she’s learned over time. We cover how Katie climbed the ladder within the fashion industry - when and how she decided to transition from job to job, she shares some great tips for connecting with mentors, we unpack her own design process and so much more. You don’t want to miss this one!  Stay tuned & hit subscribe to stay connected!

#002 - On this weeks show you are going to hear from Katie Casano, who is a great example of someone who puts themselves out there and has had a lot of success as she continues to be bold and go after what she wants. Katie’s been working in the fashion industry for over a decade as a womenswear fashion designer. She’s worked for luxury brands like Nanette Lepore, Marchesa, and Yoana Baraschi, and now she’s currently working as a professor teaching fashion design at Philadelphia University. In this episode Katie shares some great actionable advice and lessons that she’s learned over time. We cover how Katie climbed the ladder within the fashion industry - when and how she decided to transition from job to job, she shares some great tips for connecting with mentors, we unpack her own design process and so much more. You don’t want to miss this one!Stay tuned & hit subscribe to stay connected!

001 - On this week's show you are going to hear from John Bauernfeind, who is currently a Professor at Parsons School of Design. John has had a lot of success within the fashion industry as he continues to do things his own way. He tells us about how he’s learned to become comfortable with who he is, and how he continues to  use the strengths of being an introvert to get peoples attention, in a competitive, often extroverted industry. In this episode John talks about how he transitioned from going to school at Parsons School of Design to working in the fashion industry, how he gained the confidence to voice his opinions, and then what ultimately drew him back to Parsons to become a Professor of Fashion Design. This is a really great episode, so stay tuned and subscribe so that you don’t miss out on future episodes!