Hey Glow Gang!

It has been a hot minute! I took some time off from doing the newsletter but we are back.

Keeping things light this week with a short news round up, our usual recos and an inteview with Natisha Asbell, Founder of Authentic Books.

Let's get glowing

-Shilpa

P.S. If you know someone who will enjoy Glowreel, please forward this email to them to spread the love!

News Of The Week

Business and Career

• WTF?! 😳 Fearless Fund, the VC firm focussed on closing the funding gap for women of colour, is being sued for discrimination by a conservative activist who played a pivotal role in the US Supreme Court’s June decision to ban affirmative action.

• Your Honour 👩🏽‍⚖️ Louise Taylor is the first Indigenous woman to sit on a Supreme Court in Australia.

Entertainment

• Who run the world? 👩🏽 For the first time ever, only female artists are nominated for 'Artist Of The Year' at the VMAs. And, we love to see Brown, Black and Latina women leading the way!

• Double threat 👯‍♀️ Padma Lakshmi on her two Emmy nods for Taste the Nation and Top Chef, the latter of which she’s leaving after 19 seasons.

Health and Sport

• Menopause hits different for WOC 🩸 It’s time we all wise up.

• Call to the ocean 🐚 Ishita Malaviya, India’s first – and only – professional female surfer, is headlining Roxy's latest campaign.

Glowreel Recos

What we’re loving this week:

Read: The Source: The Secrets of the Universe, the Science of the Brain 🧠 Dr Tara Swart (who is an absolute genius) breaks down how we have the power to change our destiny simply by tapping into we can tap into “The Law of Attraction” and reshaping our mind.

Watch: Joy Ride. Pro tip: do not watch this with your parents! And, go watch this movie! 🥳 A combination of Everything Everywhere All At Once emotions and Girl’s Trip chaos, it allows us to better understand the complexity and challenges of the Asian American identity while getting a big ugly laugh out at the same time. Watch it when you’re happy or sad or in need of some inspiration - you won’t regret it!

Make: Golden Gaytime Popcorn by Nagi Maehashi, aka Recipe Tin Eats 🍿 Nagi's copycat recipe for Australia’s (current) favourite confectionary is chef's kiss and the perfect accompaniment to watching Joy Ride (save money, sneak your homemade snacks into the theatre 😉)

Support BIPOC Women Owned Businesses

Black Business Month Edition

Shop your favourite BIPOC women founded brands in Glowreel’s Little Purple Book!

This week’s recommended product: No Limits Cream Bronzer Stick by LYS Beauty.

$20 (USD)

Trailblazing Woman Interview

Natisha Asbell Has Turned Reading Books Into A Fully Immersive Experience

Hi Glowreel! I’m Natisha Asbell, a mother, and female-founder of Authentic Books. We are based out of Orlando, FL, but ship our book subscription to customers across the US and globe. 

We’re also building a readers' retreat that will include a bookstore and a self-care focused marketplace. We've launched a crowdfunding campaign with I Fund Women to help bring the next phase of Authentic Books to life.

Love Authentic Books! Can you tell us what it is and who it’s for?

Authentic Books is an award-winning monthly book subscription box. We create a one-of-a-kind reading experience that incorporates all five senses.

Here's how it works: Each month, you get to choose from three new, highly anticipated books that we have lovingly researched and curated. Then the magic happens—we pair the book you choose with goods that immerse you in the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of your book pick.

So, the tea or coffee included in your monthly box has flavors inspired by your book pick (taste). We hand make candles with custom scents (smell) that connect to the setting of the book. We curate a custom instrumental playlist (sound) to listen to while you read to transport you into the story and even include self-care goods (touch) that bring the reading experience to a whole new level.

We like to say we have a 6th sense, heart. We contribute 5% of profits to children’s education projects like Adopt A Classroom.

Why did you decide to start Authentic Books?

I was told it was a crazy time to open an online book subscription business out of my home. It was mid-2020, and the pandemic was devastating local communities, and forcing stores and restaurants to close. The uncertain landscape had shaken residents, business owners, and the world at large.

But I believed that a book subscription, one that transports readers into captivating stories, was just what we all needed.

So each night, after putting my three daughters to bed, I worked tirelessly into the night, creating the book subscription business of my dreams. I wasn't creating just any book subscription; I was creating one that would truly immerse readers into the story and bring joy into their lives during these trying times. And that's how I birthed Authentic Books.

Amazing! What’s next for Authentic Books?

We are looking to expand our impact and spread our mission even further by opening the only brick-and-mortar BIPOC, women-owned bookstore in our hometown of Orlando, FL.

We’ve launched a crowdfunding campaign with I Fund Women to build a readers' retreat that will not only include a bookstore but also a self-care focused marketplace with goods from other small businesses and a workshop area for candle making classes, local book clubs, and community events.

Located in the trendy Ivanhoe Village neighborhood of Orlando and set to open in October around our 3 year anniversary, the new bookstore makes a ton of sense for us.

The new location will allow us to reduce our overhead costs and create a new stream of revenue, while still being able to focus on our core subscription business.

By supporting Authentic Books, you can help make a difference by championing diverse voices and perspectives, recognizing the transformative power of literature in shaping cultural understanding and empathy, and help transform a local community.

The highlight of building your business so far? Have you faced any unexpected challenges along the way?

By far the biggest highlight has been the joy and gratitude our customers have shared with us. It makes me feel so wonderful to be able to share my love of books and help our customers carve out time for themselves.

There are always new challenges to overcome when running a business. The hardest ones are the ones that are outside of your control. You just gotta roll with it though! I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by a great team and support system that’s always got my back.

Your top tip for women who want to blaze their own trail?

Just go for it! The timing will never be perfect and you’ll never have all the answers. The hardest part is taking the leap and trusting that you’ll figure it out as you go.

If you’d like to support Authentic Books, you can donate to their crowdfunding campaign here.

Lioness Thoughts

Nominate A Shoutout

Tell us about someone doing cool shit.

It can be you, your friends or family or someone else you know. Whether you’ve just started a book club, are creating artistic makeup looks for fun, or are doing some research and want to hear from women of colour. We want to share thing cool things you’re doing with a community shoutout!

Please send your nominations to [email protected] or DM us on our socials :)

This week's email was brought to you by Shilpa Bhim, founder of Glowreel. You can see more of her work at www.shilpabhim.com or follow her on Instagram @shilpa.bhim

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