Strategic Insights from Create & Cultivate 2025

A Leadership Recap from the Rolling Greens Conference in Downtown Los Angeles

Create & Cultivate’s 2025 conference at Rolling Greens in downtown Los Angeles was a powerful experience and incredible opportunity to connect with other female owners and operators. The branding was incredible but more so, it focused on building businesses in a saturated and increasingly volatile market.

As a media agency with a performance mindset, we attended to listen closely to the frameworks and thinking behind high-functioning companies. This was not a space for theory. It was a working session for people accountable to outcomes.

Key Takeaways for Business Leaders

The most valuable messages were not about current trends or branding. They were about fundamentals, discipline, and long-term thinking. Here are our favorite quotes:

“It’s not a business if it can’t live without you.”
Beatrice Dixon, founder of The Honey Pot Company, reminded every founder in the room that the business must be operationally self-sufficient. If it relies entirely on your presence, it is not a scalable model. It is a job.

“If they don’t know you personally, don’t take it personally.”
Kamie Crawford’s advice underscored the importance of emotional control. Feedback and judgment are part of the business environment. Reacting to noise wastes time and energy.

“Aim big so you bumblefuck your way to average.”
Codie Sanchez did not soften the language. The point was clear. If you set a goal that feels reasonable, you will fall short of meaningful results. Overshoot and learn along the way. That is the only way to outperform.

“Purpose can’t be your headline. It has to be your blueprint.”
Ashley Jappe of FRE Wines challenged the idea of using purpose as a public-facing message without integrating it into daily operations. Purpose must inform decision-making or it is meaningless.

“The competition is always going to be with yourself.”
We shared our CFO’s take on this here on LinkedIn.

“If you don’t ask, you won’t know.”
Too many missed opportunities are the result of silence. Insight, funding, feedback, and access all begin with the ability to ask the right questions.

“Why not you? Why NOT you?”
Confidence is not a trait. It is a strategic mindset. This question forces accountability. It is not a motivational slogan. It is a challenge.

“Success requires being ruthlessly realistic.”
You cannot lead effectively unless you are willing to deal in facts, even when they are uncomfortable. Optimism without realism does not scale.

Structure Over Sentiment

The atmosphere of the event was designed for energy and engagement. However, the real value came from the sessions that focused on structure, systems, and operational truth. Doechii’s performance Saturday night, LinkedIn’s Creator Compound, the Gusto and goGLOW activations, and brand experiences added to the setting but they did not distract from the substance.

Create & Cultivate’s CONNECT AI tool made over 10,000 one-on-one meetings possible, pairing attendees based on business goals, industry, and level. This was a tangible reminder that intelligent networking is a critical layer in today’s growth strategy. I can’t wait to see how CONNECT returns, bigger and better in 2026. Powers of Reasoning already has tickets.

Conclusion

For leadership teams focused on profitability, resilience, and scale, Create & Cultivate 2025 delivered more than inspiration. The key message was simple. The businesses that endure will be the ones that are honest about where they are, intentional about where they are going, and disciplined enough to build the systems that will get them there.

This is not about momentum. It is about clarity of your vision and diligence. The work starts now.