When I was in college, I never thought a career in beauty would be possible because of the odds stacked against me: not having connections in the beauty industry, not going to a fashion/beauty school, not having enough “relevant” experience, not even having “favorable” beauty features and standards…but nothing is impossible right? I pushed forward anyway because I always told myself I want to be in a creative career, and gradually I was able to create my OWN experiences after all the rejections and no’s that led up to opportunities like this. Networking in college was wayyy different for me and mostly career fairs with corporate companies I didn’t see myself working for (no h8, just wasn’t for me). Social media and influencer marketing/ content creation during my college years was still fresh and developing, and there was still a negative stigma around it where many didn’t see it as a “serious career”, but look where we’re at now! Social and influencer marketing are now continuously getting refined and many companies now try to have dedicated social media and influencer marketing teams because it’s VITAL to the present and future generations. All this to say, thanks to Amy and the @Tower 28 Beauty team for creating the CBSS program and, more importantly, helping to make networking more feasible for small businesses, founders, and influencers/ creators to come together to inspire, lift each other up, and encourage each other to keep going. I left this event reaffirming that I belong here and the obstacles that should come my way will only make me stronger. I’m just a small creator out of millions now, but I know there’s space for me to glow here too 💛✨ #tower28beauty #tower28 #ipsy #beautycareer #beautycontentcreator - @vpofglow