June is Pride Month! Many organizations use this worldwide celebration to reflect on the tangible, substantial commitments we can make to support the LGTBQ+ community 365 days a year.  

Progress is being made.
In 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the broad language of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlaws workplace discrimination on the basis of sex, should be read to cover sexual orientation, too. 👏 👏 And, as of 2022, 94% of Fortune 500 companies employ non-discrimination policies that explicitly include gender identity.  

There is more to be done!
Despite these advancements and others, many LGBTQ+ employees still fear bringing their full selves to work. According to research conducted by Catalyst, a global nonprofit promoting DEI efforts in the workplace, only half of LGBTQ+ employees in the U.S. have come out to their supervisors.  

And, U.S. employees who have come out report experiencing lower inclusion at work compared with their straight counterparts, particularly as it relates to feeling connected with colleagues.  

Being an LGBTQ+ ally can transform lives.
Did you know allies are some of the most effective and powerful voices for LGBTQ+ people? Every new ally adds their voice and actions to a growing shift in mindset and behaviors, making it easier for the LGBTQ+ community to show up as their authentic selves at work and in life.  

In partnership with our employee resource group, Prism, we’ve outlined four ways you can be an active LGBTQ+ ally in the workplace — instead of a passive one.  

Prism is Creative Circle’s employee resource group that welcomes and works to address the interests of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning communities, as well as allies.  

1. Use LGBTQ+ Inclusive Language 


Source: Academy to Innovate HR  

David Allen, senior recruiting coordinator at Creative Circle and chair of Prism, says, “Your language matters — be mindful of the words you use and avoid gender assumptions. Using LGBTQ+ inclusive language in the workplace can help your employees and colleagues feel respected and included.”

  • Use people-first language that centers on the individual rather than their descriptor.  
  • Use gender-neutral pronouns, especially when the gender of your colleague is unknown. If you’re unsure of someone’s pronouns, ask politely.  
  • Remember, making mistakes is a part of learning. When you make a mistake, genuinely apologize (without making it about you) and use the proper inclusive language next time. 

2. Include Pronouns in Your Communication 

Add your pronouns to your email signature, video call nametag, and Teams/Slack bio.  

Beyond claiming your own identity, including your pronouns shows you’re an ally to the LGBTQ+ community as it indicates that you don’t make assumptions about people’s gender.  

Rose Boyer, Creative Circle recruiter and Prism ERG member, says, “This simple, low-effort act provides an opportunity for inclusion and helps colleagues feel more respected at work. When you share your pronouns, you’re providing others a safe space to share theirs.”  

It’s important to normalize this practice and encourage others to do the same. 

3. Educate Yourself Independently

As an LGBTQ+ ally, the most important thing you can do is educate yourself on issues pertinent to the community.  

David Allen says, “Self-education is important. While some of us enjoy teaching others, don’t expect the LGBTQ+ community to educate you.” It can be exhausting to educate person after person on LGBTQ+ issues, so make the effort to educate yourself and meet them halfway.  

To get started, look through this list of resources provided by Prism.  

4. Practice Allyship Year-Round

While it’s great to express allyship during Pride Month and other days of visibility, don’t stop there. Show your support consistently throughout the year. 

Additionally, Rose Boyer emphasizes the importance of listening. She says, “Allies should offer a safe conversational space for a loved one. With their consent, talk to them about their experience(s) and truly listen. They might need it.”  

 

Creative Circle’s Support for the LGBTQ+ Community

At Creative Circle, we are committed to providing an inclusive environment for all employees, promoting diversity, and advocating for equal rights. In partnership with our LGBTQ+ employee resource group, Prism, Creative Circle works to cultivate an inclusive community for all sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions. 

We offer robust parental benefits and family-building resources to our internal employees, including the Maven Wallet Program which covers up to $10,000 of IUI and IVF treatments. Annually, Creative Circle gives charitable donations to organizations for LGBTQ+ advocacy including The Trevor Project, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Lambda Legal, Broadway Cares, PFLAG, and GLAAD. 

 

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About the Author. 
Kayleigh is a Creative Circle freelancer — when she’s not chasing around her two young boys or weeding her garden, she spends her time creating content for us! She specializes in sharing advice for our talent community, so if you’re a creative with an appetite for blogs on market trends, job search guidance, and freelance life, subscribe to our newsletter to ensure you never miss the latest.  

If you’re passionate about your career — and about being a great parent — welcome to the juggle… er, jungle? Only kidding.  

Caregiving can be challenging, exhausting, and incredibly rewarding, all at once. If you’re feeling the weight of responsibilities both at home and in your career, you’re not alone. Our online community recently shared some of their biggest challenges as employed parents — their top response? Finding work/life balance.  

While there is no one-size-fits-all parenting plan, it can help to hear what’s worked for others. So, we asked 10 parents from Creative Circle to share their advice for juggling employment and parenting. Here’s what they had to say:  

Meeting Caregiving Responsibilities and Spending Time with Loved Ones 

Prioritize Your Tasks

To-do lists can feel overwhelming, but it can help to prioritize. Some tasks are urgent, while others can wait. Be intentional about what truly matters to you. Does the laundry need to be folded RIGHT NOW? Do you really need to answer that email on a Saturday? Probably not. But if it gives you mental peace, then absolutely yes.  

Lauren Ferrara, senior vice president and mother of two, says she prioritizes her tasks and time ruthlessly and sets clear boundaries between work and home. “I focus on quality over quantity with my children. When I’m with them, I aim to be fully present,” Lauren says.  

Lyla Weiss, recruitment manager and mother of two, finds quality time in the little moments. She says the best part of her day is when she picks her girls up from school. “From pickup to bedtime, we get the next several hours together,” says Lyla. She goes “full mom mode” during this time, putting the employment part of her brain to rest as much as possible. Lyla recognizes that things come up and sometimes schedules need to shift; she advises that parents embrace flexibility and be adaptable as family needs change. And she reminds us, “Don’t be too hard on yourself if things don’t go according to plan.”  

Leverage Workplace Flexibility

While it’s not for everyone — or available to everyone — working from home can be instrumental in supporting parents and caregivers. Eliminating your daily commute gives you precious time back to accomplish other things, be it playing with your kids, tackling a home project, or making space for self-care. If you have the type of job that can be done from home, even if it’s just some of the time, consider taking advantage of this flexibility.  

Brian Pope, lead recruiter and father of two, says in the 14 years of his career, the shift to a remote workplace has been the most impactful in achieving a more balanced work and home life. “And all the caregivers I’ve spoken to feel the same,” Brian says. “Hopefully remote work will be here to stay.”  

Put Down the Device

In our increasingly connected world, it’s essential to recognize the impact of technology on our relationships. Have you looked at the screen time report on your phone recently? According to Data Reportal, the average screen time spent by users aged 16 to 64 across different devices is 6 hours 37 minutes per day. Consider putting down the device and being present — for you, and for your family. 

Jason Lindberg, managing director and father of four says, “Work responsibilities aside (I have a job to do), I force myself to put down the device and be in the game. I only have so many nights to be present before the kids are grown. Spending time is as simple as talking to my family without the phone, iPad, or TV being on.”  

Performing Well at Your Job and Reaching Career Goals 

Communicate and Set Boundaries

Clear communication helps set realistic expectations. By communicating openly, working parents can express their needs, challenges, and limitations. And this applies both at home and in the office — communicate with your manager, with your partner, with your children, with your caretaker. 

Brian Lamsback, regional director and father of two, says he’s blessed to have a great parenting teammate at home. They communicate about schedules, career needs, and goals often. Brain says, “Ask your spouse, friend, or a family member to help you juggle things at home so you can prioritize your work when you need to.”  

Lauren Schneider, lead account executive and proud mother of her baby girl, says, “You can absolutely be an ambitious career person and an amazing parent.” She confirms that communicating with her manager has been pivotal in her success with this. 

Kurt Brown, senior vice president and father of three, says his boundaries with his family are crystal clear — especially because he works from home. “If Dad’s office door is shut, you cannot come in,” he says. Set physical barriers so you can focus on work, and stick to them.  

Have a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset can significantly benefit working parents by encouraging them to view time constraint challenges as opportunities. You don’t have to log 50+ hours per week in the office to succeed — learn to thrive in your allotted work time and approach your tasks with optimism. And while it won’t be easy at first, over time you will establish routines and practices that help you juggle home and work.  

Chris Coates, chief financial officer and father of three, says it’s all about effort and attitude for him. He says, “There’s always going to be folks that are ‘smarter’ than me, or may have other perceived advantages, but they might not have what I’ve got — determination. And I’m always in full control of that.”  

Self-Care: Being Kind to Yourself  

Use PTO and Sick Time

If you receive paid time off or sick time at your company, remember that it’s part of your total compensation and should be used when you need it. PTO isn’t just for vacations. Take the day to tend to your needs, whatever they might be. And if you’re sick — physically ill or mentally drained — take the sick day to heal and keep your life in balance.  

Regional director Brian Lamsback says his team has taken an intentional approach to destigmatizing mental health days. He says, “We’ve agreed ahead of time, as a group, that we don’t have to say we’re sick when we’re not. Telling our managers that we ‘need to take a sick day’ is sufficient.” He says this approach helps his team check in with themselves more often, and hopefully helps avoid potential burnout.  

Nurture Your Well-Being

There’s a reason the airlines tell parents to put their oxygen mask on first: you can’t pour from an empty cup. Prioritizing self-care is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family. Sure, it might not look the same as it did before children, but it can, and should, be on your list of priorities — right up there with “feed the kids breakfast.”  

Katie Welker, manager and proud mother of her baby boy, says she’s recently made a list of “non-negotiables” to help recharge after a busy work week. “I go to a Pilates class, walk my dog, and plan meals for the week ahead.” Katie emphasizes how important this is for her. “I look forward to this time and my family knows I need to do this to avoid getting overwhelmed.”  

Emily Webber, senior vice president and mother of two, can’t say enough about the importance of prioritizing self-care. “Taking care of my body through nutrition and exercise has made a difference in my overall attitude, patience level, and happiness.” She says it doesn’t take much time — she dedicates 30 minutes to one hour each day. “The time I commit to myself is just an important as any care I give directly to my children. Plus, I know I am setting a healthy example for my daughters,” she says. When parents take care of themselves, it benefits everyone in the family.  

Lead account executive Lauren Schneider reminds us to lean on our village. “Don’t just lean on your village when you need to take care of things at work — lean on them when you need to take care of yourself, too.” Lauren adds, “There’s a strength in accepting support and a beauty in watching your loved ones experience your family along with you.”  

Managing director Jason Lindberg shares an important reminder: “Flush the Instagram influencers’ sparkling homes and perfection! It’s not real. Raising a family can be messy, and sometimes frustrating. Real life isn’t social posts. It’s dishes in the sink, laundry for days, and basic house projects you should have finished a year ago. The mess and frustrations will soon be gone. You only have so long with kids before you’ll be longing for the chaos  again.”  

Creative Circle’s Support for Working Parents and Caregivers 

At Creative Circle, we’re committed to providing support to our employees through family-building resources, parental benefits and leave, and work-from-home-flexibility. We have an employee resource group dedicated to parents, caregivers, and allies; their mission is to empower and nurture our parent and caregiver community and to support healthy and productive lives — inclusive of work relationships. 

 

About the Author. 
Kayleigh is a Creative Circle freelancer — when she’s not chasing around her two young boys or biking on the canal with her husband, she spends her time creating content for us! She specializes in sharing advice for our talent community, so if you’re a creative with an appetite for blogs on market trends, job search guidance, and freelance life, subscribe to our newsletter to ensure you never miss the latest.  

Shopping for sustainable beauty products can be a challenging task. The landscape is fraught with misleading jargon, ambiguous promises, and a lot of greenwashing— marketing ploys that appear eco-conscious while doing little actual benefit from a health or planetary perspective. With 76% of consumers seeking sustainable products, it’s time to move past limp eco-platitudes and offer alternatives that are genuinely healthier for people and the planet.

Let’s start with the packaging.

While we might like to believe that everything we throw into our recycling bins makes it through the recycling process—that’s, unfortunately, more “wish-cycling” than reality. Studies show that only 9% of virgin plastics produced globally are actually recycled. That means a whopping 91% of plastic beauty product packaging lands in landfills.

Ah, but what about using a glass container? While that might be more easily recyclable than plastic, if it’s been produced and imported from afar, any sustainability gains from using glass are likely nixed by the pollution generated during shipping. In short, it’s complicated. But there are ways to do it right.

Now, let’s talk about ingredients.

With beauty products, there are various issues at hand when we talk about sustainability. One part is how the packaging and shipping impact the environment; the other is how the ingredients used in the products impact the environment—then there’s how they affect a person’s health. Common ingredients used in products are known to cause cancer and disrupt hormones. And beware of terms like “all-natural” or “clean” as they have no official definition.

It’s a lot to unpack—but there are ways to make products planet and health-conscious that make them better. For real. Like:

  • Using refillable containers
  • Carbon-neutral production methods and shipping
  • Vegan-friendly formulas (factory farming is one of the most significant contributors to greenhouse gasses)
  • Use of recycled materials
  • Innovative packaging (like shampoo bars) and soy-based inks
  • Sourcing materials from organic or biodynamic farms
  • Halting the use of possibly carcinogenic or endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) like parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, polyethylene, chemicals ending with -eth and -oxynol, and unfortunately, many more

The University of Connecticut estimates that the body product and cosmetics industry creates a whopping 120 billion units of packaging every year—70% of which lands in landfills. And as more information comes out about certain harmful ingredients, consumers, especially Millennials, and Gen Z, are beating the sustainable beauty drum, insisting that Big Beauty recognize and reform its unhealthy and wasteful ways.

What follows is a list of beauty brands trying to do better for the good of the people and the planet. They’re not all doing everything—some are further along on their sustainability journey than others—and given where things are, they could be doing more. But we don’t have time to wait for perfect—better is better. Doing something now is better than wallowing in nothingness to future detriment. So here goes—say hello to some beauty and body product brands making real-deal clean green products in alphabetical order.

 

AESOP

Aesop’s quietly luxe apothecary-chic bottles have long heralded good taste, but their eco and sustainable efforts have given the brand longevity. All of Aesop’s products are vegan—and ingredients are sourced via the Ethical Sourcing Program, which ensures suppliers are operating at the highest levels of eco-sustainability and that working conditions for workers are safe. The brand aims to achieve net zero greenhouse emissions by 2030 and powers its chic stores and offices worldwide with renewable energy sources.

 

Aveda

Caring for the planet has been at the heart of Aveda’s mission since its inception in 1978. The brand, a Certified B Corporation, produces vegan high-performance hair products using 100% wind and solar-powered manufacturing, 100% PCR PET bottles, and 90% of their ingredients are naturally derived (as in, you can pronounce them). The company has raised over $69M to help fund environmental initiatives around the world—like clean water, sanitation, and hygiene efforts in India, Nepal, and Madagascar—all countries they source their ingredients.

 

 

Dr. Hauschka

This 50-year-old brand is a sustainable beauty pioneer. Dr. Hauschka uses green electricity and biodynamic farming methods to grow its ingredients—which means they’re uber-organic. Most of their high-quality, plant-derived offerings (like the iconic Rose Day Cream) are packaged in glass and aluminum jars and tubes. Whatever plastic is still used is made of PCR, which saves 65% of raw oil in the process. And they are contributors to the World Hunger Project. Plus, their products smell good, and have a devoted coterie of super-fans.

 

Tata Harper

A pioneer in sustainable luxury skincare, Henry and Tata Harper, the founders of Tata Harper, formulate, manufacture, and package all their products on their farm and lab in Vermont. Their brand was born from the idea that health is the ultimate luxury. All their ingredients are literally grown on their farm and are largely organic, and all raw materials are GMO-free. 100% of their packaging is recyclable—their products are packaged in glass or corn-derived resin plastic meant to be refilled or recycled. And all printed materials are made of recycled paper and printed with soy ink.

 

The Body Shop

Anita Roddick founded The Body Shop in 1987, pioneering the concept that a beauty brand could talk about where their ingredients came from and tout their treatment of workers and the social impact of their choices as the hallmark of their brand.

The brand believes business can be a force for good. For example, they use their bespoke Community Fair Trade program to help suppliers gain market access and construct sustainable eco-projects that benefit their communities. From recycled gift bags in Nepal to handcrafted shea butter made in Ghana, The Body Shop sources ingredients and products from around the globe, providing vital financial resources and independence for the communities they work with—many of whom are women living in rural areas with limited economic and educational opportunities.

And their packaging matches their ethical ethos—The Body Shop stores are famous for accepting empty plastic and glass bottles, tubes, and pots for recycling.

 

 

Weleda

A laboratory, a healing garden of medicinal plants, and a hospital—this is the genesis of Weleda, which has been in business for over 102 years, committed to sustainable beauty products for perhaps longer than any other brand. Their ultra-moisturizing Skin Food is a cult favorite, beloved by celebrities and health-conscious consumers worldwide. More than 75% of Weleda’s plant-based ingredients come from biodynamic or organic farming—or controlled wild plants. 100% of the electricity used in their production facilities comes from renewable sources, and 98% of all generated waste is recycled.

None of the brand’s packaging contains plastic. The brand avoids using microplastics, GMO ingredients, and mineral oils derived from petroleum. The European Union has recognized their commitment to biodiversity and ethical treatment of their workers for Ethical BioTrade—it is one of only two beauty brands to carry the UEBT seal of approval and the first to earn a Look For The Zero badge, indicating that none of the company’s products contain any form of plastic.

 

Bottomline

Our beauty need not come at the expense of our health or the planet—each of these brands is a step in the right direction to using business for good.

And if you need more help, you can look up products and brands in the EWG cosmetic database to assess their health and sustainability. Knowledge is power—and every little bit helps when it comes to the environment and our health.

 

About the author.

An award-winning creator and digital health, wellness, and lifestyle content strategist—Karina writes, produces, and edits compelling content across multiple platforms—including articles, video, interactive tools, and documentary film. Her work has been featured on MSN Lifestyle, Apartment Therapy, Goop, Psycom, Yahoo News, Pregnancy & Newborn, Eat This Not That, thirdAGE, and Remedy Health Media digital properties and has spanned insight pieces on psychedelic toad medicine to forecasting the future of work to why sustainability needs to become more sustainable.

When we think about pollution, we tend to envision big oil companies, single-use plastics clogging the oceans, and choking smog from coal mines—but fast fashion is fast becoming one of the most polluting industries worldwide. Excessive clothing production doesn’t just harm our planet; it harms farmers and factory workers due to toxic chemicals and waste.

With growing awareness about these issues, many apparel and footwear brands began trumpeting their eco-efforts as part of their branding campaigns. But all too often, it’s been talk and no real action—more greenwashing than earnest sustainability—marketing ploys to appear eco-conscious while doing little benefit to the planet.

The good news is that some real-deal eco-friendly apparel and footwear brands take planetary and human impact into account by using truly sustainable production methods—from upcycled and recycled materials to organic fabrics to low-impact dyes—and employ fair trade and ethical labor practices to create high-quality, sustainable clothing and shoes that do little to no damage to the earth.

Look for brands that emphasize transparency in their supply chain. Be on the lookout for standardized certifications that can support sustainability claims like:

Here are some brands that are doing it right.

Patagonia

Best for | Outdoor Clothing

Price Range | $$ – $$$

Sustainable Practices | Certified B Corporation, Fair Trade, Recycled Materials, 1% for the planet

Patagonia leads the charge in crafting durable outdoor clothing and gear that does not harm the environment. From water-repellent hiking shorts that won’t chafe to sweat-wicking tees to their famous fleeces and insulated jackets, the brand is as known for their high-performing, high-quality products as they are for leading the charge with their sustainability efforts.  

A whopping 98% of their clothing line is made using recycled materials—and their strong commitment to sustainability can be seen in their many initiatives and the brand’s environmental impact transparency. Its website details its numerous sustainability efforts, which range from using organic and recycled materials and carefully tracking its supply chain.

As a Certified B Corporation, Patagonia works with Fair Trade Certified production facilities—this is a company that genuinely values the world we live in. Learn more about Patagonia’s eco-activism efforts here.

Reformation

Best For | Denim staples and occasion dresses

Price Range | $$–$$$

Sustainable Practices | Climate Neutral Certified, OEKO-TEX certified sustainable + regenerative fabrics, recycling + resale program

Reformation is a woman-owned, LA-based brand that uses recycled and regenerative fabrics to create super trendy looks that have made them a big name in the sustainable fashion world. They are known for creating occasion dresses and staple denim pieces from upcycled and sustainable materials—and just launched their recycled resale program, RefRecycling, where they buy back your old Reformation pieces to be rebirthed into new styles in true cradle-to-cradle fashion.

Reformation is beloved for its straightforward approach to being an eco-friendly brand, publishing all its sustainability practices and sharing environmental impact reports on its website.

Check out more about Reformation’s sustainability here.

Eileen Fisher

Best For | Timeless staples and size inclusivity
Price Range | $$$–$$$$

Sustainable Practices | Certified B-Corporation | Recycled Materials | Woman-owned

Eileen Fisher, a New York City-based brand, has been creating high-quality, simple, timeless pieces for women of all ages for nearly 40 years. The socially conscious company is employee-owned and designs with a responsible circular product lifecycle in mind, crafting their luxe wardrobe staples from eco-preferred materials like organic Pima cotton, organic linen, and responsibly sourced merino wool and then taking back its clothing through their Renew program to be resold, donated, or recrafted into new pieces.

Eileen Fisher became a Certified B Corporation in 2016, which means they monitor their production facilities to ensure that they are fair and ethical, and that workers are safe and treated equitably. They have also implemented water and energy conservation initiatives. The brand’s clothing is available at more than 50 Eileen Fisher stores in North America and 500 department and specialty stores worldwide.

Find out more about Eileen Fisher’s sustainability efforts here.

Cotopaxi

Best For | Backpacks and outerwear
Price Range | $$–$$$

Sustainable Practices | B-Corp | Climate Neutral Certified | 1% for the planet

Cotopaxi is a sustainable outdoor gear brand based out of Salt Lake City, Utah, and is named after one of the world’s highest active volcanoes in Ecuador. The wildly popular brand is all about fueling adventure by producing durable products as sustainably as possible and using the revenue to support Latin American communities experiencing extreme poverty.

As a Certified B Corporation, the brand puts a huge premium on only working with factories with fair and ethical working conditions. Every year, it gives at least 1% of its revenue as targeted grants to nonprofits focused on health, education, and livelihood. Their social impact efforts have reached an estimated 3.8 million people.

But beyond the great mission of Gear for Good, Cotopaxi’s gear is super popular because it is exceptionally well-made and eye-catching, with bright patchworks of color, ready for hiking, mountain climbing, or adventure travel.

Check out its website to learn more about Cotopaxi’s efforts.

Allbirds

Best For | Backpacks and outerwear
Price Range | $$–$$$

Sustainable Practices | Certified B-Corporation | Recycled Materials

Say hello to MO.ONSHOT, the world’s first net-zero carbon shoe—made with regeneratively produced wool, smart bioplastics, and carbon-conscious transportation featuring biofuel-powered shipping and electric trucking from port to warehouse. The landmark net 0.0 kg CO₂e carbon footprint—versus a standard sneaker, which is about 14 kg CO2e—will be achieved without relying on a single carbon offset. While you’ll have to wait till Spring 2024 to get a pair of MO.ONSHOTs, you can find other ridiculously comfy, eco-friendly options on Allbird’s site or at many stores worldwide.

Sustainable and recycled materials are the name of the Allbird game, and the brand has been laser-focused on ways to lower its carbon footprint—with the ultimate goal of becoming climate positive.

You can dig into more of Allbirds’ sustainability efforts here.

Bottomline

Sustainable or eco-friendly fashion is an increasingly used term (and, more often, overused, with little to back up claims) as we become more aware of climate change and the environmental impact of our clothes and accessories. The industry is responsible for a whopping 4 to 10% of global greenhouse emissions every year—but by buying from brands that are conscientiously designing products, you can help push things in the right direction. These and other brands are trailblazing a new era of style and substance.

 

About the author.

An award-winning creator and digital health, wellness, and lifestyle content strategist—Karina writes, produces, and edits compelling content across multiple platforms—including articles, video, interactive tools, and documentary film. Her work has been featured on MSN Lifestyle, Apartment Therapy, Goop, Psycom, Yahoo News, Pregnancy & Newborn, Eat This Not That, thirdAGE, and Remedy Health Media digital properties and has spanned insight pieces on psychedelic toad medicine to forecasting the future of work to why sustainability needs to become more sustainable.

August marks National Black Business Month, a celebration that commemorates and supports Black-owned businesses and visionary entrepreneurs throughout the United States. For generations, black businesses have been at the forefront of driving innovations in commerce. So, we asked Black Women of Creative Circle, a Creative Circle Employee Resource Group (ERG), to share a list of businesses that they love supporting year-round! Our list is meant to celebrate the Black businesses and entrepreneurs that help share their passions, innovations, and infinite creativity with the larger community. We invite you to support the Black-owned businesses in your communities and check out the organizations below that should be celebrated all year long!

Beauty

Nourished by Latonza

In 2020, Latonza Strickland founded Curated by Latonza, which features essential collections of cuticle oil pens. This all-natural cuticle oil strengthens nails and softens cuticles through a hydrating, gentle-smelling cuticle oil. Latonza’s approach to self-care and nutrition is deeply personal and she aims to provide products that are sustainable and locally sourced.

Mielle

In 2014, Monique Rodriguez created MIELLE after going viral for her healthy tail-bone length hair care routine. MIELLE started with the Advanced Hair Formula and has expanded to 10 collections of products for skin, hair, and kids. These products can be found in over 100,000 US stores like Sally Beauty, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, JC Penny, and Walmart.

Kaleidoscope

In 2014, New Orleans native Jesseca “Judy” Dupart launched her line Kaleidoscope Hair Products. Jesseca’s vision for her brand is to grow and expand the brand and the ways in which she uses God’s gifts to help others on their health growth journey and in life period.” Today Kaleidoscope can be purchased across the country at Target, Walmart, and Sally Beauty.

Organic Bath Co.

Founders Giane and Jay created Organic Bath Co. inspired by Gianne’s childhood travels and the home remedies used by her Belizean mother. Organic Bath Co. focuses on simple self-care: “Mindful moments, peaceful thoughts, and nurturing your skin from the outside in”. After discovering the marketing of toxic personal care products disproportionately targeted women of color, Giane and Jay developed a unisex natural bath and body line.

IxoraBB

IxoraBB is a botanical Skincare designed to soothe chronic skin conditions like eczema + psoriasis. Their product offerings are gentle enough for all ages to use.

Clothing

Fear of God Essentials

Founded in 2013, Jerry Lorenzo created Fear of God, an independent American luxury fashion label. The brand focuses on crafting timeless, wearable garments,  with “the brand’s distinct interpretation of the American expression has become an emblem of contemporary culture”. With a thoughtful and refined blend of high-grade materials and impeccable craftsmanship, this pays homage to its distinctive heritage, creating a sophisticated fusion that celebrates its unique legacy.

Music Sermon

In 2017, Naima Cochrane created Twitter series called #MusicSermon, telling stories about under-appreciated R&B and hip hop. Since then, Naima created an apparel brand to match the uniqueness of #MusicSermon.The Sermon Shop’s mission is to create “merch that reps the culture as hard as you do”. Through the celebration and honor of the foundations and inspirations of the culture,

Jewelry

Jnct.co

Created in 2017, creative Jonnell Chavez started Junction as a brand as an intersection of beautiful art and design. At the heart of Junction lies not only artistic expression but also a profound dedication to empowering women. Chavez passionately advocates for women to embrace their true selves and celebrate their uniqueness. This empowering essence is intricately woven into every piece, forming a compelling theme of strength and self-confidence that deeply resonates with the modern woman.

 

Check out #BlackBusinessMonth and explore more Black businesses to uplift and support throughout this month.

Juneteenth marks a day of recognition, restoration, and celebration. A day that celebrates African Americans’ resilience, spirit, and strength throughout history. As we all know, creatives make the world go round! Black voices have used their passions to uplift communities, amplify voices, and push toward a better future. So, we asked Black Excellence of Creative Circle, a Creative Circle Employee Resource Group (ERG), to share a playlist that helps them celebrate and commemorate this day. Our list is meant to celebrate the voices that have been a driving force to uplift generations of African Americans through their passions, activism, and infinite creativity.

Listen to the full playlist on Spotify!

1. U.N.I.T.Y Queen Latifah

2. Wade in the Water by Ella Jenkins

3. How I Got Over by Mahalia Jackson

4. What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong

5. They Don’t Care About Us by Michael Jackson

6. I Am Not My Hair by India.Arie

7. Alright by Kendrick Lamar

8. FIND YOUR WAY BACK by Beyonce

9. Before I Let Go by Frankie Beverly and The Butlers

Creative Circle is passionate about building inclusive work environments where everyone feels valued and heard. Our efforts aim to create more equitable workplaces for all employees, our talent network, and our clients. It’s not only morally imperative — it’s also critical for the bottom line, as research shows organizations that include people of diverse backgrounds produce significantly more innovative, creative, and effective results.

Our DEI efforts start from within. We employ a workforce that reflects the makeup of society around us, in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, physical ability, and more. This equips us to attract the best talent in the industry, and in turn, our clients benefit from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.

“Diversity in the workplace is extremely important to candidates, as they want to work for a company that is made up of people with different ideas, backgrounds, and life experiences,” says Shannon Robinson, a senior recruiter for Creative Circle. “When candidates see a variety of different types of people in various departments, as well as in middle management and senior management, then they know they’ll have a fair shot at those opportunities as well.”

Our DEI Mission

We know that diversity, equity, and inclusion make us all better, so we continually work to ensure they remain core to everything we do at Creative Circle. Our vision is clear: To champion the perspectives, voices, and values of our communities by being fiercely anti-prejudice, openly supportive of marginalized communities, and uncompromising in our dedication to equity and inclusion.

We are proud to have taken tangible steps to make Creative Circle a more supportive environment for people of all backgrounds. But we also know that the work is never finished. And as we continue to improve our internal operations and culture, we are also committed to helping our clients achieve bias-free workplaces.

Inclusive recruiting

Creative Circle is dedicated to recruiting a diverse pool of candidates for all positions we fill. We use a variety of job boards and proactive recruitment channels to reach a wide range of candidates and have partnerships with organizations that promote diversity in the creative space.

Implicit bias training

Implicit bias, while not intentional, can unfairly impede minority jobseekers and result in stale, homogenous workplaces. All Creative Circle employees receive implicit bias training to drive objective hiring, provide more opportunities to our candidates from marginalized groups, and support our clients in their diversity hiring efforts.

DEI education

Creative Circle offers regular DEI training and resources to our clients and freelancers to help them better understand and champion DEI in their work. We accomplish this via our robust DEI Education Resource Library for our candidates and clients, which we developed in partnership with Johnson Squared, an inclusion-first diversity and equity consulting agency.

Diversity in Leadership

As of 2021, women and nonbinary employees make up 80% of our company’s workforce, including 65% of the senior leadership team. We are committed to expanding our workforce diversity further along other dimensions, and we have set goals to achieve this.

Employee Resource Groups

In 2020, we established employee resource groups (ERGs) to foster supportive and inclusive communities within the organization. Our nine (and counting) ERGs provide communities for employees with various different experiences and interests, including Black women, parents and caregivers, neurodivergent employees, and more. Creative Circle supports every ERG through executive sponsorship, professional development, community outreach, networking, recruiting, and shared experience.

Diversity-Focused Partnerships

We are proud to partner with the Emma Bowen Foundation, an organization that provides paid internships for students of color in the media and tech industries. Since its founding in 1989, EBF has connected more than 1,300 students of color to some of the nation’s leading media companies and continues to advocate for best practices in hiring, retention, and advancement in the media and technology industries. Today, the Emma Bowen Foundation helps us source exceptional students of color for our internal job openings as well as contract and full-time roles with our clients.

To increase the reach of and access to our opportunities, we post all our clients’ roles on Professional Diversity Network (PDN), the nation’s number one, single-source diversity online recruitment company that focuses on reaching both active and passive diverse professionals.

Community Outreach

Beyond striving for the most inclusive environments possible for us and our clients, we also have a commitment to supporting organizations that promote diversity and inclusion in the broader creative community. Local Creative Circle teams have sponsored events including Women in Business summits at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, the “Diaspora: The Art of Blackness” exhibition at Harrington College of Design in Chicago, the S.H.E. Summit in New York City, WomenHack in San Francisco, and more.

Corporate Social Responsibility

While we at Creative Circle are laser-focused on bringing creative visions to life, we are also committed to making the community around us a better place to work and live. We are proud to support local and national nonprofit organizations, implement sustainable best practices, and prioritize diversity and inclusion within the organization. Read more about our commitment from our parent company, ASGN.