Over 6,000 people attended Bustle’s second annual Rule Breakers Festival this past Saturday, September 21st at The LeFrak Center at Lakeside, Prospect Park, Brooklyn.
The 2019 class of Rule Breakers, featured in Bustle’s September 2019 digital issue, shared their inspiring stories and advice with the sold-out crowd on stage as well as backstage.
Hear what Lizzo has to say about being a rule breaker!
Busy Philipps: “One thing that has always guided me was a quote from Shakespeare, ‘To thine own self be true.” It’s easy to lose sight of that. But if you allow yourself the space to make mistakes and be imperfect and not judge yourself against someone else’s ideas of success, I promise you: you will find your way.”
Stacey Abrams (Voting Rights Leader): “The best way for us to fix our climate, for us to take care of our people, for us to save our future, is for us to be the ones who write the rules. That’s our job. Every one of you is responsible for finding a rule that is wrong, for finding a rule that is mean, for finding a rule that doesn’t make a damn bit of sense. I want you to break that rule, and write a new one, and let’s change the world.”
Aside from killer performances from Lizzo, Betty Who, Jesse Jo Stark, and Abir, attendees also enjoyed roller skating performances at the Michael Kors roller rink, delicious eats from Midnight Market, and engaging brand activations from sponsors including Athleta, the WNBA, and The CW’s Batwoman and Nancy Drew.
Check out the photo gallery!
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Lizzo (L) and Stacey Abrams attend Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Lizzo attends Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Lizzo attends Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Betty Who attends Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Valorie Kondos Field and Katelyn Ohashi attend Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: (L-R) DJ Rashida and DJ Natasha Diggs attend Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Danita Johnson attends Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Heather McMahan attends Bustle Rule Breaker’s Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Sophia Chang attends Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: ABIR attends Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Busy Philipps attends Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Jesse Jo Stark attends Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Emma Rosenblum attends Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: BDG Chief Financial Officer, Deb Schwartz, BDG Founder and CEO, Bryan Goldberg, and BDG Chief Revenue Officer, Jason Wagenheim attend Bustle Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Lizzo performs onstage during Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Lizzo performs onstage during Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Lizzo performs onstage during Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Betty Who performs onstage at Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Betty Who performs onstage at Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Bustle 2019 Rule Breakers honoree Busy Philipps speaks at Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Jesse Jo Stark performs onstage at Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Jesse Jo Stark performs onstage at Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: ABIR performs onstage at Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: ABIR performs onstage at Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Gymnast and Bustle 2019 Rule Breakers honoree Katelyn Ohashi performs onstage at Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Gymnast and Bustle 2019 Rule Breakers honoree Katelyn Ohashi performs onstage at Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Staff prepare Disney’s Maleficent themed ice cream cones at the Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream booth during Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Attendees participating in Athletas The Art of Yoga during Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Bustle)BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 21: Lola Stars Dreamland dancers perform on the Michael Kors roller rink during Bustle’s 2019 Rule Breakers Festival at LeFrak Center at Lakeside on September 21, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Bustle)
Sandy Lo is an author, blogger, journalist, and digital strategist. Her personal story is inspiring. Sandy started StarShine Magazine, an online publication in 2001, at the age of 18. She wrote her first novel in 2009, “Lost In You,” followed by the “Dream Catchers” Series. She was the first person ever to professionally interview Taylor Swift and has received personal endorsements for her books from members of boy bands Backstreet Boys and 98 Degrees.
