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Below is our recent interview with Christine Zmuda, CEO and the Founder of Hip and Fab Ventures:
Q: Could you provide our readers with a brief introduction to Hip and Fab Ventures?
A: Hip and Fab Ventures is an umbrella company focused on the mission of women supporting women through art, music, and unique life experiences. As a career woman with friends who work both inside and outside the home, I came to the realization that time is always at a premium. There is a significant opportunity to package up ideas alternatives to a typical girls night out for easy consumption and ways for women to help each other to get more out of their relationships. By facilitating women to women connections, we can more easily share how to advice for better girls’ nights out and other off beat life adventures that result in lifelong friendships. For me, these experiences have been rooted in art, music, and doing things a little differently. Book clubs are fine and have their place, but there is so much more in life to experience. This line of thinking figures prominently in the release of the book “The Misadventures of the Hip and Fabulous”, the first deliverable from Hip and Fab Ventures, Along with the book, we have also launched the #hipandfab movement and the blog site hipandfabulous.com . With channels on Facebook and Instagram, we hope to drive positivity and share information with women globally with the end game always in mind – having more fun and having more laughs. There is also an online course to help women take an introspective look at your relationships and determine where next to invest to get more out of the relationships.
Q: Christine, you’ve recently released a book entitled “The Misadventures of the Hip and Fabulous”; could you tell us something more?
A: Life is busy. As a full time, technology executive, my weekends and free time are precious. My goal is to make the most of every moment. At the same time, I wanted my girlfriends to experience memorable and standout life moments. This book is the accumulation of tried and tested techniques from 10+ years of life with a gang of girls I affectionately call the “Hip and Fabulous™”. Over the course of this book, readers will obtain an insider view into this amazing group of women and learn the answers to these questions and more:
• If you wanted your girlfriend to feel extra special, how would you throw a parade downtown in her honor?
• If you invited Joan Jett to your own Roller Derby Event would she come?
• What are the best and most difficult karaoke songs, and do you sing louder in costume?
• Is it possible to make your laundry room a “Zen Bar” and does the laundry still get done?”
• What happens when you put a grown woman in a Ground Hog suit in the middle of downtown Washington, DC?
• How could you inspire your own friends to create exhibits for a gallery party in your home?
• Can you really get an honorary key to the city without being a celebrity?
• What is a more interesting venue than a hotel for a local staycation?
We’re getting great reviews on the book “The Misadventures of the Hip and Fabulous” which is purposefully priced in the same range as what it would cost to treat yourself and a friend to a grande latte The book is available on Amazon.com.
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Q: Why did you want to write a book? Where did you find the inspiration?
A: To be honest, I had the goal of writing a book when my daughter was a child. I thought it would be amazing to write a book together. Life is busy, life goes fast. My daughter is now 19 years old. I missed that window when she was younger. . Ironically, she is now a journalist and blogger. Hopefully, we will get a chance to partner on something together in the future.
In the meantime, I had received encouragement and appreciation around the outings I put together for my friends. I had this nagging feeling that there were so many other women like me and my group who could benefit from the information if packaged correctly. That actually spawned the book idea.
However, the true inspiration to writing the book did not come until I saw Barbara Corcoran of Shark Tank and NY Real Estate fame speak. She was over the top inspirational. In a very personal and intimate way, Barabara shared she was challenged academically as a child but had the grit and determination to become one of the world’s most successful businesswomen. She was authentic and real. I came home that night and wrote the first two chapters.
Q: What do you think readers would appreciate about the book?
A: The goal is really to get women from 0 to fun faster. This starts with inspiring them to do and try things they have not done before. A great example of that, is the night I had 16 of my friends participating in an amateur Roller Derby. These ladies had not been on skates in probably 20 years. After some weeks of coaxing, they geared up with their jerseys, protective gear, and Roller Derby names. It was a night that none of us will forget. So often because we are busy, we can’t plan and it’s hard to do anything but the normal routine. This book has many ideas which will enhance your friendships and likely have you doing things you have never tried before. This is great girlfriend gift, bridal party gift, or gift for your sister or girlfriend. This could even be a great gift that you can share with working friends to keep them mindful and grounded on life outside of work.
Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: In the near term, I am enjoying the opportunity to share our story. How many other people can say they wrote the book on being on Hip and Fabulous? In all seriousness, we have also launched a course entitled “Life Lessons of the Hip and Fabulous: How to Get More from Friendships available on Skill Share and Udemy to help women in a hands on way to : 1). Assess and measure their relationships in terms of self-satisfaction 2) Take action to deepen and invest in experiences to cement those relationships or 3) In some cases, prune friendships that are not providing a positive influence. We are excited about the next chapter and invite women around the world to join in. Life is truly not a spectator sport.
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