Creator & Lifestyle Editor: Christina-Lauren Pollack

As the Creator & Lifestyle Editor behind Inspirations & Celebrations, my mission is to share inspirational and informational guides and articles about a range of lifestyle topics including:

• Fashion & Style Guides
• Health & Beauty Tips
• Entertaining How-To’s
• Travel & Leisure Guides
• Special Event Coverage

How did you get started with Inspirations & Celebrations?

In high school, I dreamed of starting a lifestyle magazine with my friends. But, that proved too challenging for a group of teens in the ’90s. Fortunately, with the advent of the internet, social media, and the world of blogging — fast-forward a little over a decade, when my teenage dream finally became my reality.

In 2011, I launched my lifestyle blog-turned-business as a “passion project”. What started out as a part-time creative hobby has since evolved into a growing business I love running. With a background in the creative field (doing graphic design, PR / communications, acting and modeling, and photoshoot styling), my experiences led to developing this lifestyle website for women. Through this business, I’ve learned about website development, photography, content creation, digital marketing, and social media.

As a result, I’ve established my lifestyle website as a daily source of inspiration and information for over 300k social media followers, 70k email subscribers, and 10k RSS subscribers (mostly women, age 20–45). I&C is followed by women all over the world, including celebrities, notable industry leaders, and top magazine editors. As the creator of I&C, my mission is to educate and empower women through inspiration and information.

What are a few highlights in your career as a Lifestyle Editor?

• I’ve partnered with 300+ brands on campaigns including Olay, Conair, Oscar de la Renta, and Reebok.
• I’ve been seen on InStyle.com, Shape.com, Babble, SheSpeaks.com, Glamour.com, in Reader’s Digest and other leading publications and websites.
• I’ve traveled the world collaborating with premier hotels (like Four Seasons, The Ritz-Carlton, The Grand Hotel, etc.) to create digital travel guides.
• I’ve been a contributing writer for Carmel Magazine, The Los Angeles Fashion Magazine, Shakers Magazine, SeeMonterey.com, and The Huffington Post.
• I’ve been featured on the cover of Key Magazine Monterey Peninsula (Dec. 2018 issue)
• I was featured in a full-page fashion advertisement for Augustina’s Designer Boutique in Pebble Beach Magazine (Winter 2019 issue)
• I was a semi-finalist in the 2017 Harper’s Bazaar “Fabulous at Every Age” contest.
• I was featured in a 10-part “Style How-To” video series for eHow.com.
• I’ve been quoted in 3 books: 99 Things Women Wish They Knew Before Getting Behind The Wheel of Their Dream Job, Fast Track Networking and 1001 Fundraising Ideas and Strategies.

What do you love most about Inspirations & Celebrations?

I love creating a community of empowered and enlightened women who support and motivate each other.

One of the greatest joys I’ve experienced in running Inspirations & Celebrations is connecting with the I&C followers and reading the kind-hearted comments they’ve written. In a world filled with hate speech and online bullying, building a community that focuses on positivity and helps people live an inspired life is one of my top priorities.

Fashion & Style Guides

My first job out of high school was as a retail sales associate for a women’s fashion brand. In addition to helping women dress their best, I’ve spent years reading and writing about fashion and style trends.

As a result, the I&C Fashion & Style Section shows readers how to easily coordinate trendy pieces with timeless classics in an eye-catching, chic, and sophisticated way. The section also features “Fabulous Finds“, which are easy-to-navigate Shopping Guides highlighting products from top brands and designers. In addition, the section also includes Designer Spotlights, featuring exclusive interviews with celebrity fashion designers, up-and-coming designers, and announcements about new collection launches. Plus, to keep readers informed of upcoming seasonal trends, they can follow the NYFW Style Series, which features coverage from runway shows and fashion presentations.

Beauty Guides

Having tested hundreds of beauty products, I’ve learned which beauty treatments and products work best. As I regularly consult with Dermatologists, Celebrity Skincare Experts, Hair Stylists, and Makeup Artists, I often include their expert advice and findings in I&C beauty guides. I’ve even interviewed beauty icons like Bobbi Brown, Miss USA 2018 Sarah Rose Summers, and other notable beauty mavens.

I’ve also covered several beauty conventions including ipsy Gen Beauty, Cosmoprof North America, and the Lucky Magazine Fashion & Beauty Blogger Conference and continue to do editorial reviews of beauty products. The I&C Health & Beauty Section shares must-read advice and tutorials about makeup, skincare, hair, and nails.

Health & Wellness Guides

Wellness is more than a mindset, it’s a way of life. My mission is to inspire and educate I&C readers about different ways they can easily incorporate healthy living into their everyday life.

From original fitness tutorials to diet and nutrition guides, my goal is to help people become healthier and happier through the pursuit of wellness. As a result, I’ve worked with several top fitness and wellness-focused brands including Reebok, lucy Activewear, Booya Fitness, Smart Water, and others.

Whether you want to learn about Yoga, Pilates, Barre or other fitness programs, or you’re curious about how vitamins and eating whole foods can supercharge your body, I&C is here to motivate you to make wellness a top priority in your life.

Entertaining Guides

You could say I was born to party (as I was born on July 4th and grew up in a family that loved celebrating special occasions – from birthdays to holidays, we always wanted to make these moments extra special).

In addition to managing the business operations of my family’s award-winning party supply manufacturing and wholesaling company (Creative Balloons Mfg. Inc.), I’m the past President of the Monterey County Young Professional Group and a previous Co-Chair of a large fundraiser for The Junior League of Monterey County. Throughout my experiences in these organizations, I’ve learned a lot about event planning and entertaining.

Whether you’re throwing a casual get-together or planning a gala event, I&C entertaining guides will help you become the ultimate hostess. In addition to sharing my favorite entertaining tips, I often include expert advice from celebrity caterers and event planners (to show you how to truly elevate your parties to the next level).

Travel Guides & Special Event Coverage

Since traveling is one of my passions, I often work with premier hotels and leisure brands to create digital travel guides for I&C. From hot air ballooning and wine tasting in Napa Valley to spa treatments and fine dining in Norway, the travel section on Inspirations & Celebrations shows you the best places to stay and play around the globe.

Being based on The Monterey Peninsula (in Northern California), I enjoy welcoming I&C readers to my beautiful hometown by sharing my favorite spots to visit and things to do in the area. From Pebble Beach Food & Wine to Monterey Car Week, I&C covers the best lifestyle events in Monterey County (and beyond).

In this busy, fast-paced world, I believe we all need to enjoy the simple things that inspire us most each day.

Whether it’s reading an exciting travel guide (about a must-see destination you’ve never heard of) or learning how to entertain in style (and look great while doing it), my hope is for Inspirations & Celebrations is to become your daily source of inspiration and information.

If you want to live an inspired life, I encourage you to subscribe to I&C and follow us on social media. Thanks for visiting Inspirations & Celebrations!