New York lifestyle and fashion photographer Justin Bridges is a big proponent of doing things on your own terms. As a left-brained creative, Justin believes that an "unconventional" career path for any creative is totally okay. Coming from a background in finance, he created his own blueprint in how he went from Goldman Sachs as an equity trader to working for J. Crew, Saks Fifth, and the Sartorialist before picking up his camera full-time.

I was looking back at last years list of 2017 goals to see how much of it I could cross off, how much of it was left hanging, and how much my goals have personally changed since then. In flipping through the pages of this notebook, I found a list of lessons I learned in 2016. So here I am, sharing my accomplishments to bask in New Years glory and share some old + new lessons.

Summer Sanders went from makeup artist to raw food chef and Co-Owner/Founder of the Local Juicery. After a wake up call, she began her healthy living journey by shifting into a plant strong diet. With a goal to make healthy food available and accessible for everyone, the Local Juicery was born.

Seattle has become one of my favorite cities to visit! And after this last visit in September, I definitely know a thing or two about things you should do when you're there - especially in the Pike Place Market area. Read a little insight and explore my gallery!

In September I attended Create & Cultivate Seattle! Not only was it my first time ever attending a conference but I also attended it alone. Given that conferences can offer so much and be so big in seemingly such a short amount of time, I'm sharing my insight with you on conquering the day!

Jacqueline DeMarco is a freelance writer for all your favorite publications and is also working full-time in her dream job as the Marketing Manager for Career Contessa. Some publications that she writes for include: Girlboss, Create & Cultivate, Apartment Therapy, and The Everygirl. Jaqueline shares with us her journey as a freelance writer and gives aspiring freelancers some personal advice!

Last Sunday, I started my adventurous, touristy day Oddfellows Cafe and Bar. Whether you're a tourist in Seattle, a local in Seattle or just someone who loves coffee shops, this place is a must-visit. Big open windows, lovely decor, and good food - what more can you ask for?

Create & Cultivate hosted their biggest conference to date in Seattle, Saturday, September 9th. With keynotes Mandy Moore, Issa Rae, and Founders of Finery, Brooklyn Decker and Whitney Casey - I'm really grateful to have experienced this event and be able to share my insight with you! If you're curious as to how a C&C conference really is, here is my experience and takeaways.

Centrally located just a twenty-minute walk from downtown and Pike Place Market, Harry's Fine Foods is an adorable corner cafe below the Airbnb that I'm currently staying at for my weekend in Seattle. This space has lovely, rustic aesthetic and lots of natural lighting - perfect for brunch.

Entrepreneur, blogger, and founder of Jersey City culture blog, CHICPEAJC, Lynn Hazan created a platform not only for her city but, unexpectedly, for herself along the way too. With 20k Instagram followers and 60k visitors per month, Lynn shares with us how she left the corporate world just after two months from launching her blog and what the journey has been like since then.