A media entrepreneur and one of the industry’s most respected award-winning editorial leaders, Lesley Jane Seymour is the former Editor-in-Chief of More, Marie Claire, Redbook and YM magazines. At More she created history by having the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, guest edit an entire issue—leading to 8.5 billion media impressions worldwide. Seymour is now creating a digital club called Kindred Community for women who want to live a more authentic life.  

With over seven years in the early stage startup scene, Dannie Hetz has created and managed six different products in four categories, as a creative leader, community manager, product manager and over the past four years, as the founder and CEO of her own startup.

Dan Harris is co-anchor of both Nightline and the weekend edition of Good Morning America on ABC News. He is also the author of 10% Happier, a #1 New York Times bestselling book about a fidgety, skeptical news anchor who stumbles upon meditation.

Emily Rand is an enthusiast for life, a world traveler and creator of The Awareness Movement, an online community designed to inspire and motivate. She has 10+ years’ experience working in sports and entertainment marketing with the Kansas City Royals, AEG, Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets. Emily is an avid volunteer and enjoys working with the elderly.

With a professional background in Public Relations, Acting and Clinical Social Work, Deena Goodman, LCSW, CPCC combines her expertise to deliver values-driven coaching across industries to entrepreneurs and  executives alike working on electrifying their executive presence, establishing a sense of fulfillment professionally and personally and delivering with unforgettable impact.

Committed, compassionate, and highly skilled in multiple disciplines, Christina Burns is the pioneer founder of Naturna, an Integrative health center dedicated to the comprehensive fusion of Eastern medicine and Western science.

Hana Ayoub is a professional development coach for high achievers who want to align their priorities in pursuit of dynamic success. Committed to optimizing the way professionals work and thrive, Hana leads a customized process that uncovers what's next, why, and how to get there.

Most of Melissa Emilio's clients and coworkers refer to her as Mia. She has been a senior curly hair specialist at Devachan for 12 years. One of her favorite memories from growing up is Saturday mornings in the salon with her mother and sisters. She knew she wanted to be in that world everyday. Someone actually told her that she might not make it in this industry — putting her down and making her think they were right. She knew she had to prove them wrong. Practice and hard work pays off. Having an awesome coworker who was her biggest fan showed her how to let her talent blossom.

Amy Koppelman is the author of two critically acclaimed novels, A Mouthful of Air and I Smile Back. She received her undergraduate degree from University of Pennsylvania, and an MFA in fiction from Columbia University. Koppelman and her screenwriting partner adapted I Smile Back for the screen. The film, starring Sarah Silverman, premiered at the 2015 Sundance, Toronto and Deauville Film Festivals.

Julia Kristina is a registered therapist, speaker, and online course creator based in Vancouver, BC. She specializes in helping people work through and overcome anxiety, depression, self-doubt, perfectionism and self-confidence issues so they can go through life feeling deeply happy and more connected to themselves and others.

Nick Palmacci is a music industry executive and current GM/Partner at TMWRK Management in New York. He currently overseas a roster of talent including Dillon Francis, Ariel Rechtshaid, Tourist, Cashmere Cat & Lunice, among others.

Liz Wilkes is obsessed with helping companies and their people thrive. After struggling (and mostly failing) for years to maintain her own wellbeing while working demanding jobs, Liz discovered meditation and yoga as tools for helping achieve balance. She noticed that traditional corporate wellness programs were singularly focused on physical health and did not address employee wellbeing holistically. Interested in offering a more comprehensive solution, she founded Exubrancy in 2013. Exubrancy brings group fitness classes, meditation sessions, and massage therapy to hundreds of offices across the country.  

Lucie Fink is a 23-year-old video producer, creative director, on-camera host, stop motion artist, Millennial spokesperson and social media influencer. A 2014 graduate from Johns Hopkins University, Lucie graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in creative writing and a concentration in media. She has made numerous appearances on NBC’s Today Show as a Millennial spokesperson, discussing a wide range of topics relevant to her generation. She is currently a Video Producer and Lifestyle Host at Refinery29 where she hosts the experimental YouTube series, Try Living with Lucie.

Robin DeMarco is a Lifestyle and Business Coach and Consultant who helps professionals design strategies to maximize their personal lives and achieve their career potential. Prior to receiving her certification in coaching with IPEC, she led a successful professional career as the Executive Luxury Director for Condé Nast at WIRED.

Andrea Schecter is an an OB/Gyn resident at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City. She’s lived and worked on women’s health issues and advocacy all over the world, most recently in Africa, South America, and Haiti. She spent the last year in rural Uganda, providing patient care and managing community health programs to address issues like access to birth control and maternal mortality. She is a primary author of a forthcoming report on violence and human rights among refugees from the Congo and a co-founder of an advocacy and reporting project that aims to make a portal for documentation of human rights abuses accessible to health professionals around the world.

Aliza Licht is a fashion industry veteran and the founder and president of LEAVE YOUR MARK LLC. She currently works as a branding, communications and digital strategic consultant to businesses at the intersection of fashion and technology. Licht was formerly the long-time SVP of Global Communications for Donna Karan International and the voice of DKNY PR GIRL®, an award winning Twitter personality that she created. Licht is widely credited as a social media pioneer in fashion, growing their Twitter community to over half–a-million followers organically.

I don’t know about you guys, but the end of this year totally flew by. More than ever before. I probably say that every year.

Here’s a rundown of 2018 — what I loved, didn’t love and what I’m excited about for the new year. Bring on 2019!

I listened to a lot of music on repeat this year. Spotify informed me that I listened to 17 hours of The National, and they didn’t have a new album out in 2018. Lots of really good music this year.