Made it Happen: Recent Episodes
Sarah Haefling
Made it Happen is a podcast series highlighting female founders, who took a chance, and launched their own business. Through interviews with female entrepreneurs, Made it Happen is dedicated to inspiring others through stories of those who have experienced going out on their own first-hand, discussing all the highs - and the lows. It can be easy to see the glamorous side of starting your own business through the internet and social media, but what does it really take behind the scenes, to launch and run your own successful business. Hear how these inspiring female founders, Made it Happen.
Top episode replay: Originally aired on May 10, 2020.
One of Marketing Magazine’s top 30 Under 30, Erin is an entrepreneur, marketer, former journalist, and startup advisor/investor. She is the co-founder and CEO at Willful, an online estate planning platform that makes it easy for Canadians to create a will in less than 20 minutes. Prior to Willful she held leadership roles at communications agency Eighty-Eight, startup publication BetaKit, and at Sprouter, which was acquired by Postmedia in 2011. Erin is a frequent speaker with Speakers’ Spotlight, writes a column for the Financial Post, and is a tech commentator on CTV News. She has appeared in publications including The New York Times, Forbes, and CNN.
During this episode of Made it Happen, Erin and I speak about her journey as an entrepreneur, being one of Marketing Magazines Top 30 Under 30, What to consider when starting a business, how to market your business and make your presence online know, building your personal brand, managing that work-life integration, tips for public speaking & getting retweeted by Oprah..twice. We also touch upon the current situation of COVID-19, how it has affected Willful, and what business owners can be doing right now to cope with the situation.
Top Episodes Replay: Originally aired June 21, 2020.
In one of our top podcast episodes featuring Samantha Feher, we had the privilege of unraveling the story behind her rise in the fashion industry and entrepreneurship. You may know her from her from her digital retail business Supper Club (formerly Brunch Club), her marketing firm Feher Agency, the popular Bravo TV show Summer House, her interview on Not Skinny But Not Fat Podcast, or many other exciting endeavors.
Join us in this replay episode as we delve into the dynamic life of Samantha Feher, a journalist based in the heart of NYC.
In our conversation, Samantha gives us a peek behind the curtain of life at Cosmo, sharing insights into what it's like to create content for the iconic magazine. From her favorite aspects of the job to juicy behind-the-scenes Bachelor content, this discussion is a must-listen.
But that's not all! We also explore Samantha's journey as the founder of Brunch Club, an online clothing boutique that blends style with personality. Get ready to be inspired as Samantha shares her wisdom for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to carve their own path in the world of online retail.
And if that wasn't enough, we dive into Samantha's role as a freelance consultant, uncovering the secrets of her accidental journey into content creation. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or simply intrigued by the inner workings of the media industry, this episode has something for everyone.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- What it's like to work at Cosmopolitan Magazine and create content for a global audience.
- Samantha's favorite aspects of her job at Cosmo and some exclusive behind-the-scenes Bachelor content.
- Insights into launching and managing a successful online clothing boutique, including tips for aspiring entrepreneurs.
- The story behind Samantha's accidental journey into content creation and her role as a freelance consultant.
- Valuable advice and wisdom from Samantha's diverse career experiences in journalism, entrepreneurship, and consulting.
Tune in as Samantha Feher opens up about her diverse career, offering invaluable insights and advice along the way. Don't miss out on this engaging conversation with one of NYC's brightest talents!
This week's episode features Samantha Gladish, Business Mentor, Lead Gen & Sales Expert, and Lover of All Things Online Marketing (and Food!). Samantha is the host of The Wellness Witch podcast, which is in the top 4% of podcasts globally. She is also the CEO of holisticwellness.ca - an online business that helps women optimize their health and hormones.
Through consistent imperfect action, Samantha learned how to market herself and grow her health coaching business to over half a million in sales. Although health and wellness are her first passions, she quickly fell in love with all things marketing, from writing sales copy, implementing tech, creating sales funnels, growing social media, running Facebook ads, and learning sales. From becoming an Amazon bestseller and launching one of Canada’s top podcasts with over 2+ million downloads, she now helps health and wellness coaches and online service providers find their soul-aligned clients, gain the confidence and marketing skills to grow their online business and up-level their bank account.
Listen in to learn about:
- How she created her successful online business and the framework used to scale so quickly
- How to build confidence in yourself & in your business
- How to set yourself apart from other businesses in a saturated market
- One key piece of health/nutrition advice for women they can implement right now
- Advice for anyone who might feel unmotivated at this time
Resources:
Website: https://holisticwellness.ca/
https://www.samanthagladish.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holisticwellnesswitch/
https://www.instagram.com/samantha_gladish/
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This week's episode is featuring Ella Greenwood, British filmmaker and mental health advocate. She is the founder of London-based Broken Flames Productions and is an ambassador for leading teenage mental health charity stem4. Her work has screened at BAFTA & Oscar accredited festivals and has been featured by the likes of Grazia, Refinery29, Variety, Deadline and Huffington Post. She was selected as a Forbes 30 Under 30 Honouree at the age of 19 and was named Creative Pioneer of the year at the 2021 Darkus Magazine Awards. Her films focus on mental health and have been partnered with charities such as HUMEN and PAPYRUS. Her first short film 'Faulty Roots' screened at festivals across the globe including BAFTA Qualifying Carmarthen Bay at which she won the Rising Star Award. Projects following Faulty Roots include ‘Self-Charm’ starring BAFTA winner Bukky Bakray and the animation 'Dreary Days'. Recent films include ‘Smudged Smile’ which stars Mia Mckenna-Bruce and was featured by Variety for being the first in a mental health anthology series, 'Why Wouldn't I Be?' which stars Harry Collett and Elizabeth Berrington, and 'Bibimbap for One' which was the first film made with the Lucas A. Ferrara Film Fund which Ella is Co-Director of. Upcoming projects include 'Fifty-Four Days' which stars Celia Imrie and 'Mayward Road'. Ella has recently become an ambassador for make-up brand 'Eyeko' and has featured in their 2022 Limitless Campaign.
Listen in to learn about:
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Starting up her own production company & her experience with crowdfunding in the film industry
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How the media impacts our mental health and what changes she's looking to make in the space
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Her experience as a young entrepreneur and advice for being taken seriously in the industry
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Obstacles and accomplishments she's had as a founder, such as Forbes 30 Under 30 and Woman Entrepreneur Magazine's Most Influential Female Entrepreneur
Resources:
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/popsella
Website: www.ellagreenwood.com
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This week's episode is featuring Teri & Sarah from Females Who Side Hustle & Save Her Seat Podcast!
Teri is a mom of two, wife and Freelancer passionate about building a community that no one ever feels like they are going through anything alone.Sarah is a social savvy millennial who loves talking business and hyping others up to pursue their passions.
Both co-founders call the Niagara Region home. They met 8 years ago and have created a like minded business bond that fuels their love for entrepreneurship.
From mentorship to business partners they grew a bond and bloomed a business around waiting to feel support and make connections with other like-minded motivated females. Being 10 years apart yet both feeling there was something missing, they created Females Who Side Hustle – a space for people to build their network across industries and find conversations that inspire them along the way.
A year into starting FWSH they quickly realized there was a need to connect beyond social media and that’s when the Save Her Seat Podcast was born. Each episode invites the listener in to be a part of unique conversations either between the hosts with their Founders Series episodes or with a guest having real and raw conversations about what it is really like to own your own business and navigate the success and struggles we all face.
Listen in to learn about:
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How they got into business & podcasting together and tips for finding the right business partner
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The process of starting Save Her Seat Podcast & advice for anyone thinking of starting their own
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How they grew the community of FWSH & how they've evolved with the business
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Advice for anyone who feels lonely throughout the entrepreneurship process
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What they wish they knew when they had first started in business
Resources:
Females Who Side Hustle
Website: https://www.femaleswhosidehustle.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/femaleswhosidehustle/
Save Her Seat Podcast: https://www.femaleswhosidehustle.com/saveherlinks
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This week's episode features Katrina Bell, founder of The Copper Bell. Katrina is creating one funny label at a time as she powers through as an ‘accidental’ business owner. Katrina followed the traditional route of post secondary, landing different jobs as she evolved through the corporate world and starting her family. Then the pandemic hit and she became a statistic along with many others by losing her job.
Luckily and really unknowingly, Katrina already had a back up plan – making candles with amazing smells and very humorous labels. This reflects Katrina’s personality to a T. She is funny, doesn’t take herself or life too seriously and has a sense for scents!
In April of 2020 she said – ‘well let’s give this candle thing a go and see what happens.’ Prior to this her candles were being made for friends, family and herself as she found she was sensitive to scents and often would get headaches from them. She continually receives reviews, compliments and comments about how scent-sensitive people can enjoy candles again thanks to The Copper Bell.
Listen in to learn about:
- How her business stands out in a saturated market
- Overcoming the fear of showing up as the face of the brand & how this has impacted her business
- The one tool that now generates almost 40% of all of her incoming business
- The best hiring advice shes ever received & that she uses in her business to this day
Resources:
The Copper Bell
Website: www.thecopperbell.ca and code will be MADEIT for 15% off
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.copper.bell/
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This week's episode features Tara Murphy, a Toronto-based, internationally-recognized money expert.
After saving $100,000 before age 24, Tara bought her first property downtown Toronto, and scored her dream job at a Bay Street Investment Bank. Since then, Tara has started her own consulting business (TMM), blog, created an online course, and has taught thousands of students. Tara focuses on helping young entrepreneurs and women work through money blocks, negotiate salaries, pay off debt, manage day to day finances, and learn to invest.
With a dedicated following of over 25K on social media, and hundreds on her mailing list - Tara’s unique spin on financial advice has made her a trusted, go-to voice for ambitious women, young people, and entrepreneurs alike. Tara is committed to writing, speaking, and continuing to educate others about personal finance, while encouraging them to curate and create the life of their dreams.
Listen in to learn about:
- What money mindset really is & how to overcome these barriers as a business owner
- How to go about raising capital for your business & what investors are looking for
- Where to start if you’re looking at getting into investing
- How often you should be checking in on your finances as a business owner
- Ways in which you can start making passive income and considerations to make beforehand
- How much you should be saving, investing & spending, personally, and as a business owner
Resources:
Tara Murphy
Website: https://www.taramariemurphy.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taramariemurphy/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tmariemurphy
linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-murphy-7a64a265/
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This week's episode features Samantha Patil is the Co-Founder and CEO of Well Traveled -- A members-only travel platform that is filled with like-minded people who have the hook up to a perfect trip.
This is a place where people can go to get recommendations, plan trips, and get little discounts along the way. Samantha is on a mission to change the way people travel. She is highlighting the perks that make taking a trip memorable, exciting, and full of adventure. Where work remote is inevitable, she has created a platform where people can stop creating excuses and start living in the now.
“Travel has been part of my life since I was very young (I took my first international flight at just six months old!) and it's something I am truly passionate about sharing with others. My mom built her career as a travel agent and my dad traveled three weeks out of the month for work so you could say travel is truly in my DNA. I love exploring new places but always hated wasting hours researching and never being able to find recommendations for the types of things I wanted to do, from people I could relate to. The idea for Well Traveled was born. So if you're someone who prefers to travel more like a local and less like a tourist, Well Traveled is for you. Now I may be just a little bit biased, but I think you're going to love it.” -Samantha
Listen in to learn about:
- What she did to build an iconic brand, before even launching a product
- The importance of showing personality within a brand & creating a true community
- How she differentiated Well Traveled from other travel companies
- Launching a travel company during the pandemic when travel was difficult for many
- Finding a balance between work & travel along with tips for working remotely
Resources:
Well Traveled
Website: https://www.welltraveledclub.com/
Instagram: @welltraveledclub
Tiktok: @welltraveledclub
linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/welltraveledclub/
Samantha Patil:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samframpatil/
Instagram: @samframpatil
Twitter: @samframpatil
Book Recommendation:
Presence by Amy Cuddy: https://amzn.to/3OvV8ix
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LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/made-it-happen-podcast
This week's episode features Michelle Wolfe, speaker, podcast host & business owner.
Throughout her 10 years as a Massage Therapist and 8 years of doing self-development and mindset work, Michelle has learned that one of the best ways to adapt to our ever-changing lives is to just keep moving forward. Making one decision at a time, and taking one step at a time. Michelle is the host of The MUVE Forward Podcast, a Stepmom, partner and an investor.
Speaking on topics such as mindset, self-development, health and wellness and more, Michelle is an energetic and positive force who radiates with a good vibes only mindset wherever she goes.
We discuss how she first got started in her career and into self-development & mindset work, what tools and resources helped her with this self-development, her journey to building MUVE life, and all things around mindset as a business owner.
Listen in to learn about:
- How to overcome the mindset barriers around starting or growing a business
- What to do if you’re feeling overwhelmed or burnt out & how to shift your mindset during a difficult time
- How to make money mindset shifts as an entrepreneur
- Overcoming fear when you are feeling stuck & know you need to make a change
- Dealing with Mom guilt & balancing business with home life
Resources:
Website: https://www.themichellewolfe.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellewolfe/
Book recommendations:
Rich Dad Poor Dad: https://amzn.to/3uVIZfG
JOIN THE STEP-BY-STEP PODCAST LAUNCH PROGRAM (start date August 15):
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Website: www.madeithappenpod.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/madeithappenpodcast/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/made-it-happen-podcast
This week's episode features Shannon Matson, CEO & Founder of The Social Bungalow, an education + media company that helps entrepreneurs structure ingenious online businesses, as well as Bungalow Coffee a 2,500 sqft coffee café in the Downtown Las Vegas Arts District.
With comprehensive experience in marketing and advertising, Shannon prides herself on helping others structure and market their businesses for exceptional growth.
Her journey began in the corporate world where she held titles such as V.P. of Marketing for a global publishing company and National Director of Sales & Marketing for a fitness franchise.
These varying industries and array of accreditations – from pursuing continued education credits in copywriting, utilized to write weekly articles for Forbes and Entrepreneur.com, to becoming Google Adwords certified – speak to her insatiable hunger for driving traffic and conversions to remarkable brands.
These roles brought her to opportunities with L’Oreal, Access Hollywood and The Ellen Degeneres Show, with marketing access to Kendra Wilkinson, Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez.
We discuss how to cut through the noise with your offerings, utilizing past content & focusing on quality, what she’s learned from her biggest launch so far, how to drive organic purchases, the mindset of being a business owner, and so much more.
Listen in to learn about:
- Going from a 9-5 corporate job to building her 7-figure business
- How to create quality content that organically SELLS & converts consumers
- One key element to having a successful launch that is often overlooked
- How to cut through the noise with your offering & stand out with an online business
- The mindset piece of being a business owner & how to manage this
Resources:
Website: https://thesocialbungalow.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesocialbungalow/
The Sophisticated Ceo Suite https://thesocialbungalow.com/sophisticated-ceo-suite
Book recommendations:
Traction: https://amzn.to/3PmpwMO
Running Lean: https://amzn.to/3uEJg6L
Scaling Lean: https://amzn.to/3yYY8z6
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Connect With Us:
Website: www.madeithappenpod.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/madeithappenpodcast/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/made-it-happen-podcast
Today's episode is featuring Kena Paranjape, founder of All You Are, comfortable leisurewear for women, including the Signature Robe which has wrapped itself around thousands of amazing women and continues to be a bestseller to this day.
Kena is a seasoned retail industry veteran and entrepreneur and was one of the co-founders of Brika, an innovative retail concept focused on highlighting and supporting emerging artisans and designers.
Kena founded All You Are after a traumatic experience in 2007 when her husband became suddenly and mysteriously critically ill. Over the course of the next seven years, Kena and her husband managed his health until his passing in 2014. Kena experienced firsthand how quickly life can change, forcing you to not only adapt but to actively choose how your story will unfold. All You Are is a safe space for women to explore their dreams, find strength and courage, and of course, feel comfortable doing so.
All You Are donates 1% of all revenue to International Justice Mission Canada, an organization dedicated to protecting children from abuse and forced labour around the world. Today, All You Are stands for more than just a robe. Through its product, articles, and community, All You Are aims to inspire women to step into who they truly are and to live fully and well, regardless of their current circumstances. We want to remind you every day to be all you are.
Tune in to hear more about:
- Overcoming a tragic loss and finding the resilience to build a successful business through it all
- Starting a new business while raising a newborn
- Advice for those feeling stuck and unfulfilled right now in life or business
- The importance of mentorship in business and who has impacted her through her journey
Resources
All You Are: https://allyouare.ca/
Brika: https://www.brika.com/
Justice Mission Canada: https://www.ijm.ca/about-ijm-canada
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This week's episode is featuring Jennifer Singh, founder of She’s Newsworthy Media. Jeniffer is a former TV reporter turned entrepreneur, speaker and CEO of She’s Newsworthy Media. Before entrepreneurship, Jennifer worked in the Canadian media industry for over 15 years as a reporter, producer and writer for CTV, CBC, Global and CP24.
She has been featured in the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Global News, CTV speaking and The Social speaking about imposter syndrome, women in business and the need for more inclusive marketing. Jennifer was also featured in a national campaign for International Women’s Day in partnership with Mercedes-Benz Canada and Pink Tartan.
She’s Newsworthy Media was founded to help amplify the voices of women in the media because their expertise is underrepresented. The company is now Canada’s go-to resource for women entrepreneurs who want to get massive exposure for their businesses on TV. The company has helped over 60 women entrepreneurs land media spots on the most popular Canadian TV shows including The Social, Cityline, CP24 Breakfast, Global News Morning and Your Morning.
We discuss how Jennifer first got into the media industry & all the ups and downs that go on behind the scenes, the lack of representation in media and how she’s working to change this by redefining PR, key tips & insights on how to actually get picked up by media outlets, and much more.
Listen in to learn about:
- How to craft a newsworthy pitch that will actually get picked up by the media
- The key number of media outlets you should be sending your pitch to and how they determine this
- One common mistake made when doing PR as a business owner that will surprise you
- How to really utilize your earned media for your business & turn it into profit
Resources:
Website: https://www.shesnewsworthy.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shesnewsworthy/
Media Pitch Template
Media Success Coaching
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This week's episode is featuring Emma Cortes, a Seattle Content Creator. Her blog and Instagram Emma's Edition aims to inspire the modern woman to create, travel, and live life with style. As a fashion and lifestyle blogger, Emma share's everything from fashion trends to try each season to content creation tips. She loves sharing posing ideas, Instagrammable places, as well as her journey as a content creator.
Emma also co-hosts the Content Creatives Podcast with her friend and fellow Seattle content creator Maddy from @madcrayy. Together they share how aspiring influencers and small businesses can discover, grow, and own their brand.
Prior to taking her creative career full-time, Emma worked in the aerospace industry for 6 years. She supported the 787 program, Airplane on the Ground (AOG), as well as Everett Site Operations in project management and business operations roles. She also worked in the consumer packaged goods industry for a year after undergrad.
We discuss how Emma first got into the influencer industry, when she knew she wanted to make this her full-time career, organically growing her following on social media, creating her courses & multiple streams of income, and much more! This is a must-listen episode to hear about Emma’s journey and so much valuable advice & tips on the influencer industry.
Listen in to learn about:
- What a media kit is & everything you should be including in it
- Finding brands that align with you as a content creator
- How to price yourself as a content creator & three considerations to account for
- Negotiating brand deals as an influencer & how to go about this
- Tips on becoming a full-time content creator & the ‘4 creator life stages’
- Different income pathways for content creators and finding the best fit for you
Resources:
Website: www.emmasedition.com
Instagram: @emmasedition https://www.instagram.com/emmasedition/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/emmalynncortes
SHOP NEW PODCAST MERCH:
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This week's episode is featuring Abeda Oturkar, Founder and Business Manager, Paper Spree. Abeda Oturkar, armed with a Diploma in Entrepreneurship & Business and a Bachelor of Fine Arts, is an entrepreneur with a natural disposition of living in harmony and respect with our planet and its people. This has been of advantage to succeed as a natural foods educator, a restaurateur for 15 years, and now started in 2019 an eco-friendly business working to preserve and share a better world.
PaperSpree brand is here to showcase “Eco-friendly” as the new renaissance in retail. The present is about circularity, sustainable products going mainstream - to be the catalyst and fill the growing gap for affordable, accessible, high quality, durable, zero-waste products. The promise is to reduce the use of plastic, and replace retail shelves with eco-friendly products. Their collection of Accessories, Cases, Notebooks/Journals, Christmas decorations, Gift Wraps, and Stationery are 100% plastic-free, 100% recycled, 100% recyclable. We discuss how this business came to be, the challenges and successes she’s faced, the importance of community & networking through the Power Panel, how we can truly make a difference for our environment, and much more!
This episode is sponsored by WEtech Alliance as part of The Canada / U.S. Power Panel program supported by the U.S. Consuls General in Canada’s Building Back Better Program aimed at strengthening support for women entrepreneurs during COVID-19. For information on WEtech Alliance, visit www.wetech-alliance.com
Listen in to learn about:
- What a circular economy is and why it’s important for creating a net zero-carbon
- How a circular economy business model differs from a traditional business model
- What we can be doing to make the circular economy happen by rethinking everything we use
- How we can encourage consumer awareness and behavioural shifts when making decisions that impact our planet
- What role bioplastics and other bio-based materials play in the shift away from non-renewable materials for packaging and products
- Some of the challenges she has faced in growing her business along with the successes
Resources:
Website: http://www.paperspree.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/paperspree/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paperspree/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaperSpreeCanada
Sponsored by:
WEtech Alliance, The Canada / U.S. Power Panel program supported by the U.S. Consuls General in Canada’s Building Back Better Program: https://www.wetech-alliance.com/powerpanel/
Circular Economy and Sustainable Economy Resources:
https://circularinnovation.ca/circular-economy/
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/05/single-use-plastic-chemical-recycling-disposal/661141/
https://www.wedonthavetime.org/about-us#sustainability
This week's episode is featuring Lori Sroujian, founder of VEGCHEESE. Lori first started experimenting with faux-cheese recipes after a family health scare led her to reconsider what she was eating. What started as a personal quest to find a nutritious but delicious replacement for cheese eventually evolved into a side hustle — and in 2018, VegCheese became Lori’s full-time enterprise.
VEGCHEESE line of artisanal vegan cheeses are 100% dairy free, nut free and gluten free. Their cheeses are handcrafted in Ontario, Canada with a base of organic soy milk and organic coconut oil. We discuss how this business came to be, the challenges and milestones they’ve faced in the food industry, what she would have todl herself when first starting out, and much more!
This episode is sponsored by WEtech Alliance as part of The Canada / U.S. Power Panel program supported by the U.S. Consuls General in Canada’s Building Back Better Program aimed at strengthening support for women entrepreneurs during COVID-19. For information on WEtech Alliance, visit www.wetech-alliance.com
Listen in to learn about:
- How the product and concept of VEGCHEESE first came to be
- What the secret to success is in the food industry and as a business
- The challenges she’s faced as an entrepreneur including capital
- How the health food market has been chnaging over the years and where it’s heading
- Exciting future plans coming up for VEGCHEESE
- How the Canada / U.S. Power Panel program has helped her business and tips for networking as a business owner
- How can we #BuildBackBetter in 2022 and beyond
Resources:
Website: https://vegcheese.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vegcheese/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vegcheese/
Sponsored by:
WEtech Alliance, The Canada / U.S. Power Panel program supported by the U.S. Consuls General in Canada’s Building Back Better Program: https://www.wetech-alliance.com/powerpanel/
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This week's episode is featuring Clare Cui, an international sales expert, trainer, and speaker who has led multi-seven-figure sales teams to close over $9 million in high ticket sales ($4 million during 2020 alone!)
Previously an avid yogi who went from financial struggling as a yoga instructor to making 15K a month from a change in mindset. Clare discovered the importance of self-worth by mastering the spiritual aspect of sales. This has inspired her to teach others how to be leaders in sales conversations so they too can receive more of what they deserve.
She helps 6 figure coaches consistently close more sales & handle objections without convincing. She focuses on guiding women to have more confidence with their business, and life, through self-empowerment.
With experience in leading and consulting teams for multi-7 figure entrepreneurs such as Lisa Nichols, Rachel Bell, and Sage Lavine, Clare is an expert in teaching online coaches and service providers how to convert high ticket sales without pushing or convincing. Since 2014, Clare has been teaching coaches how to have a permission-based sales conversation that results in consistent $10, 20 to upwards of $50k months by empowering coaches to confidently stand in their highest value.
Listen in to learn about:
- How she went from “scraping by to pay for dinner" to earning 15K a month
- Bringing the feminine into sales and how to embrace sales as a woman without having to follow the old, masculine based way of selling
- How to accurately price your services and know your worth
- The necessities’ of closing a high-value sale, compared to a lower-ticketed item
- What the biggest mistake people make when selling is
- How to reach out to your ideal client in a positive way
- How important following up on a sale is and how to know when it’s time to move on
Resources:
Website: https://www.closesalesconsistently.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clare_cui/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clare.cui
SHOP NEW PODCAST MERCH:
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This week's episode is featuring Gigi Robinson, a digital artist, health & wellness advocate, current M.S. Candidate, and graduate of the University of Southern California with a Bachelors in Fine Arts, Design, and Photography. Gigi creates, educates, and speaks about what’s important to her— lifestyle, mental health, body image, and chronic illness. She is a seasoned photographer with 10+ years of experience creating assets for leading brands. She is passionate about collaborating and producing content for non-profits to expand my impact globally.
She has a strong presence across Tik Tok (100k views on average) and Instagram (15.5k+ followers), and, as of this year, she has been developing her YouTube and Podcast content.
Gigi has always been a creative innovator and possessed a high-level work ethic, especially when it comes to making a difference with her projects. Originally, she wanted to be a photographer, but, since then, has transitioned her skills of image-making into those that create an impact through storytelling. Living with chronic illnesses, she has been challenged in many ways with everyday tasks, such as showering, cooking, walking, and even sitting down.
Despite all of the physical and psychological challenges that threatened the path to becoming who she is today, she has challenged adversity and dedicated a majority of her life to becoming a master content creator, always keeping her values of creating positive and impactful messages to her diverse audience as a priority.
Listen in to hear about:
-
How she first got into the media industry & becoming an influencer
-
Working for many large companies in the media industry (Tik Tok, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, and more!) and what her biggest takeaway was from working at these companies
-
Challenging adversity despite all of the physical and psychological challenges & how she stays motivated during difficult times
-
The role social media plays in our lives and how to form a healthier relationship when consuming content
-
How business owners can focus on their mental health and set boundaries
Resources
Website: www.gigirobinson.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/itsgigirobinson/
Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@itsgigirobinson
SHOP MERCH:
madeithappenpod.com/shop
Sponsored by:
Contracts Market: Affordable, customizable, Canadian contracts for your business
www.thecontractsmarket.com?ref=sarahhaefling
Three Ships Beauty Code MADEITHAPPEN20
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Instagram: www.instagram.com/madeithappenpodcast/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/made-it-happen-podcast
This week's episode is featuring Heather Monahan, a best-selling author X2, Top 50 Keynote Speaker in the World 2022, Podcast Host of Creating Confidence, TedX speaker, and most recently appointed to the Board of Directors of Healthlynked Corp. Having successfully climbed the corporate ladder for nearly 20 years, Heather Monahan is one of the few women to break the glass ceiling and claim her spot in the C-suite.
Heather was recognized as a Glass Ceiling Award winner and as one of the Most Influential Women in radio in 2017 before her unexpected termination. In late 2017, Heather chose to make her company Boss In Heels her full-time job. Over the next few months, Heather was featured on the Elvis Duran Radio show, wrote and self-published her first book entitled “Confidence Creator” and was named the Brand Ambassador for Perry Ellis International’s female brand “Rafaella”. Subsequently, she was named a limit-breaking female founder by Thrive Global. She is also a member of the Florida International University (FIU) Advisory Council to further serve as a mentor and leader in the South Florida community.
Heather’s book Confidence Creator shot to #1 on Amazon’s Business Biographies and Business Motivation lists the first week it debuted on Amazon. Forbes named Confidence Creator one of the 5 must have books for women in business in 2021. Heather’s show, Creating Confidence, debuted on the Top 200 shows on Apple podcast. Her guests include Sara Blakely, Gary Vaynerchuck, Ryan Serhant, Kaitlyn Bristowe among many other noteworthy celebrities and entrepreneurs. Heather was named one of the Top 40 Female Keynote Speakers in 2020 and Top 50 Keynote Speakers for 2022 by Real Leaders. Her TedX talk was promoted to TED and translated into 6 languages. Harper Collins Leadership published her new book Overcome Your Villains in November 2021.
We discuss Heather's journey of working in the corporate world, to being unexpectedly fired and going out on her own. She shares how she built up her personal brand, getting into speaking engagements, becoming a best-selling author, and much more!
Tune in to learn:
-
Advice on becoming confident in yourself and stepping into the potential of who you can be
-
How she went about writing her best-selling book & the differences in writing her second novel
-
What she does at times when she doesn't feel confident
-
How to learn to be okay with not being for everyone and not apologizing for who you are
-
Becoming a confident speaker & giving her TED X talk
Resources
Website: heathermonahan.com/
Heather Monahan Instagram: www.instagram.com/heathermonahan
Creating Confidence With Heather Monahan: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-confidence-with-heather-monahan/
Sponsored by:
The Breakfast Pantry: www.thebreakfastpantry.com/
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Instagram: www.instagram.com/madeithappenpodcast/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/made-it-happen-podcast
Today's episode is featuring Jennifer Kem, the successful owner of three million-dollar brand-building businesses! This special edition episode is also guest hosted by Melissa Hopper, of Southpoint Publishing and Freelance Business Consultant for entrepreneurs.
Jennifer left her former job as an executive at a Fortune 500 company to start her own business in retail. By the age of 32, she became a millionaire, only to lose it all in the recession two years later. Now, she is the successful owner of three million-dollar brand-building businesses all while having three kids.
Jennifer is a San Francisco Bay Area-based brand building and leadership expert who gets entrepreneurs seen, heard, and paid for being themselves! She is the creator of the Master Brand Method: a framework to develop powerful brand archetypes that win customers’ hearts, leveraging Jennifer’s 20 years of corporate experience and her launching of multiple companies. She uses the Master Brand Method in strategic consulting for emerging entrepreneurs, celebrity brands like Oprah Winfrey Network and Steve Harvey, and major corporations including Verizon, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Bank of Hawaii. What she is most passionate about in her work today is her legacy project: Femmefluence, a platform that supports women leaders to fully rise into their influence and affluence, so they can make an even greater impact in the world. Jennifer serves up straight talk wrapped in love, because she understands entrepreneurs’ challenges.
Tune in to learn more about:
- Rebuilding herself as a Business Owner after becoming a millionaire ad losing it all in the recession
- Leaving her corporate job to start her own business & finding that winning idea
- What a brand really is and what it does for your business
- Operating based on your values & what her definition of success means
- Success rituals and systems Jennifer has in place to help manage social anxiety
- Juggling motherhood and entrepreneurship
And much more!
Resources:
Website: jenniferkem.com/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jenniferkem/
Melissa Hopper:
Website: melissa-hopper.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-l-hopper/
SHOP MERCH:
madeithappenpod.com/shop
Sponsored by:
The Breakfast Pantry: thebreakfastpantry.com/
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Website: www.madeithappenpod.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/madeithappenpodcast/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/made-it-happen-podcast
Ilana Dunn is a Millennial and Gen Z Dating Expert, Content Creator and the host of the podcast Seeing Other People. With over eight years of content creation experience, four years of dating expertise, and two years of podcast hosting, Ilana’s mission is to create content that helps daters feel more empowered and less alone in their dating lives.
Ilana is widely known as the face of modern dating. She hosts the Seeing Other People podcast which has made its way onto the Spotify Top 50 Viral Podcasts chart. Formerly the Face of Hinge and the host of Hinge’s Dating Sucks podcast – which debuted at #3 on the Apple Podcasts US Relationship charts – Ilana helps individuals all over the world navigate the struggles of modern dating.
We discuss Ilana's journey from working at Hinge to then going out on her own and starting a top-charting dating podcast. She shares tips & advice for growing a podcast and truly building a community, the importance of networking and how to do this - even this isn't your strong suit! - and much more.
Listen in to hear:
-
Her experience transitioning from the music industry, to being the face of Hinge, to going out on her own
-
Advice for people in making connections in both personal & professional life
-
Growing her community on social media & her podcast
-
Tips on balancing relationships, social life & professional life
-
Navigating from being a co-host to a solo host on Seeing Other People Podcast
-
Being named in the top dating podcasts to listen to among many podcasters she looks up to
Resources
Ilana Dunn Instagram: www.instagram.com/ilana.dunn
Seeing Other People Instagram: www.instagram.com/seeingotherpeople
SHOP MERCH:
https://madeithappenpod.com/shop
Sponsored by:
The Breakfast Pantry: www.thebreakfastpantry.com/
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Connect With Us:
Website: www.madeithappenpod.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/madeithappenpodcast/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/made-it-happen-podcast
Natalie Barbu is an influencer turned entrepreneur. She began her social media career in 2011 on YouTube in the beauty guru phase. She has grown her following to over 360,000 followers throughout her platforms, made it her full-time job, and pivoted multiple times in her journey. She is the host of The Real Reel Podcast, a show where she speaks to entrepreneurs, business leaders, creators, and everyone in between talking about the real reel - not the highlight reel - the CEO and founder of Rella, a management tool made for influencers to run their business.
We discuss how she got into the influencer space before it was really established, when she knew it was time to leave her corporate job and become a full-time influencer, what made her decide to start her business Rella, what she's learned along the way, the power of networking and much more.
Tune in to learn:
-
How to build not only an audience but a true community
-
The biggest lesson she's learned while starting a business
-
Key advice for businesses & brands looking to get into influencer marketing
-
What you should be doing if you're wanting to become a full-time influencer
-
Social media trends & how the online space is changing
-
Finding the right co-founders for your business & how she went about this
Resources
Website: rellasocial.com
Natalie Barbu Instagram: instagram.com/NATALIEBARBU/
Rella Instagram: instagram.com/rellasocial/
SHOP MERCH:
https://madeithappenpod.com/shop
Sponsored by:
Contracts Market: Affordable, customizable, Canadian contracts for your business
https://www.thecontractsmarket.com?ref=sarahhaefling
Three Ships Beauty Code MADEITHAPPEN20
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Instagram: www.instagram.com/madeithappenpodcast/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/made-it-happen-podcast
An award-winning social entrepreneur, Jenn Harper is the founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics INC. Cheekbone Beauty is a digitally native direct to consumer brand that is helping Indigenous youth see themselves in a beauty brand while using the concept of Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) in the brands ethos and in developing products. Creating a new segment in the beauty industry - Sustainable Socially Conscious Beauty.
Jennifer Harper has been making a name for herself in the beauty industry for a number of years but has been gaining popularity quickly after being on the hit CBC show, Dragons Den in 2019. Cheekbone Beauty’s mission is to help every Indigenous youth see and feel their enormous value in the world while creating sustainable cosmetics.
Cheekbone Beauty is committed to donating 2% of revenues to organizations that support Indigenous youth. During Cheekbone Beauty’s infancy, Jenn endured a heavy personal loss with the suicide of her brother B.J. This loss, though difficult, has remained a driving force behind the desire to see Cheekbone Beauty succeed with its mission, to empower Indigenous youth.
In addition to Cheekbone’s mission, she strives to educate as many people as possible about the Residential School System and the effects it has had on my family and friends through decades of generational trauma. She speaks regularly to university, college and high school students about social entrepreneurship, empathy and the history of her First Nations family. She has also been invited to speak to various entrepreneur groups, women in business associations, Apple Canada and First Nations organizations.
In 2019, Jenn was named ‘Women of the Year’ by Chatelaine Magazine.
We discuss Jenn's journey to entrepreneurship and where the idea for Cheekbone Beauty first came from, what building a sustainable socially conscious beauty brand really means, incorporating Indigenous Knowledge into the processes of the business and thinking about the next seven generations, and much more.
Tune in to hear about:
- How Jenn learned how to start a business after getting the idea for Cheekbone Beauty
- Creating this new segment in the beauty industry - Sustainable Socially Conscious Beauty
- Her experience on Dragon's Den and her biggest takeaway from the experience
- Getting into retail stores such as Sephora and the processes she went through
- Finding work-life balance as an entrepreneur
Resources:
Website: www.cheekbonebeauty.com Use code MADEITHAPPEN15 for 15% off your order!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheekbonebeauty/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cheekbonebeauty/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cheekbonebeauty
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/cheekbone-beauty
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS-JpqTI-QdLv1vtCotPArQ
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This week's episode is featuring Katie Zeppieri, founder of The MicDrop Agency and one of today’s leading voices & thought leaders on empowerment. Through her work as a social entrepreneur, author, TEDx speaker, podcast host and social influencer, Katie is at the forefront of conversations surrounding leadership, self-development, women, youth, mental health, and business for social good.
Katie is the Founder of The MicDrop Agency, an innovative PR and talent agency with a 360-degree approach to building the reach and impact of their clients. They combine a traditional PR approach with a "scrappy" hustle that includes active pitching for media, speaking, social influencer and partnership opportunities. From personal brands to corporate brands, they amplify the work and voices of their clients and help propel their growth.
Katie Zeppieri is a thought provoking and motivational speaker leading talks on Personal Branding, Mentorship, Mental Health, Career Development, Building Confidence and Leading with Impact. She has spoken across North America, including on the TED Talk international stage in Vancouver, Boy & Girls Club of Metro Denver and Google and Microsoft Headquarters. She is a frequent on-air radio contributor on Toronto’s NEWSTALK 1010 AM station and the host of the “Together We Rise” Podcast. Whether she is delivering a keynote, leading an interactive workshop, speaking on a panel of experts or hosting an event, Katie engages audiences and inspires them to take action.
We talk about:
- Katie's journey into professional speaking and entrepreneurship
- The power of your personal brand and making connections
- How to build your personal brand around your business
- Building a truly sustainable business that's also driven by passion
- How to break into the speaking industry & finding your topic
- What to do if you want to find paid speaking opportunities
- And so much more!
Resources:
Website: https://katiezeppieri.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiezeppieri/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-zeppieri-1b58983b/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatieZeppieri
The MicDrop Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themicdropagency/
SHOP NEW PODCAST MERCH:
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This special edition episode of Made it Happen is in partnership with Timber + Plumb to announce the official winners of the Stay Golden Grant! The Stay Golden Grant is an initiative created by the Timber + Plumb team, to give back to local businesses. Last year Timber + Plumb gave $1,000 to one amazing local business but this year they are giving $1,000 to one business AND $500 to another equally deserving business that needs a little pick-me up to push them another step forward! They will also be offering a 6 month mentorship from Markie at Timber + Plumb for both businesses.
Markie and I discuss the creation of the Stay Golden Grant and why giving back to our community is so important. She also shares details on the first year of running the grant in 2021, and now this year's grant process & round of applicants! We then welcome last year's winner of the grant; Zule from Zule Eats, to tell us about her experience winning the grant, and her mentorship experience with Markie.
We then announce the TWO official winners of the Stay Golden Grant (including their LIVE reactions!) We will then welcome the first-place winner to join us and tell us about her amazing business, along with sharing her plans for the winnings!
Huge thank you to Timber + Plumb for creating this amazing initiative to help local businesses during this time. It is truly inspiring and I am honored to be partnering with them for the official grant announcement!
Tune in to the full special edition episode to find out who the winners are!
Resources:
Markie Tuckett's Made it Happen Episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4WDMAVub1UHNsxI9K0oHZZ?si=258e148daf2a4263
Timber + Plumb: https://www.timberplumb.com/
Timber + Plumb Blog: https://www.timberplumb.com/blog-feature
Zule Eats: https://www.zuleeats.ca/
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Website: www.madeithappenpod.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/madeithappenpodcast/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/made-it-happen-podcast
This week's WE RISE episode is featuring Andrea Descargar, CEO and founder of ECOVANA, a Canadian based environmentally conscious company, committed to quality, ethical practices, animal cruelty-free, and eco-friendly products to eliminate single-use plastic.
Andrea Descargar, has over 6 years of plastics recycling and waste management experience. She has successfully developed and executed several projects such as "Zero Waste in Industrial Manufacturing", "Plastics Scrap Recycling Programs" in North America, and is an active member of the first ECAT 2020 (Essex Climate Change Team). She is determined to shake up the recycling industry in North America, steering the way to a zero waste utopia.
The spark of Ecovana ignited after years of frustration with Canada's outdated, flawed recycling system. It all began while working in a Sales position at a Plastic reprocessing company in Windsor, Ontario. After conducting various waste audits in industrial manufacturers factories, and recycling centers; witnessing millions of pounds of plastics making it's way to the landfill took it's toll. Living with the guilt weighed heavily to push for a solution.
We talk about:
- The good growing pains of being a business owner
- The challenges of growing a team and hiring
- Focusing on the outcomes as opposed to the challenges or setbacks
- Going from ecommerce to opening a storefront & signing a commercial lease
- Building her community and having an open-door policy
And much more!
Resources:
Website: www.ecovana.ca/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ecovana.ca
Sponsored by:
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LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/made-it-happen-podcast
This week's episode is featuring Linsay Moran, the co-founder of Unwrapit!
Linsay Moran is the co-founder of Unwrapit, a tech startup that wants to decarbonize corporate gifting and make it more green -- this is especially relevant with climate change and the severe impact that supply chain issues are having on businesses. Unwrapit is a solution to that. Corporate gifting is a $242B industry and climbing, projected to reach $306 Billion by 2024. Many corporate gifting solutions consist of physical gifts and merchandise that is ultimately destined for a landfill. Unwrapit is creating a new paradigm for corporate gifting experiences by offering relationship-building options for forward thinking people in the form of unique gift cards, subscriptions and other virtual offerings that will help reduce waste caused by corporate gifting.
Prior to becoming a co-founder of Unwrapit, Linsay Moran helped bring a spotlight to women as an executive at Women of Influence.
The corporate gifting market has typically been viewed as an industry with only a limited amount of corporate swag options to gift -- branded totes, notepads pens, and gift cards. Now, companies are seeing the benefit in partnering with retailers and merchants that their employees want and valueso gifts are actually enjoyed and used versus thrown away.
Unwrapit is committed to taking the waste out of corporate gifting. Do we need another tote, especially with ‘the cotton tote’ crisis? (An organic cotton tote needs to be used 20,000 times to offset its overall impact of production, according to a 2018 study ). Unwrapit gifts are rarely physical products, and are transferred virtually, eliminating any environmental implications associated with physical shipping.
We talk about:
- Being a woman in tech, but not technical and feeling that imposter syndrome in the industry
- Creating an authentically curated network
- Her role as a female founder and mentor having worked with incredible leaders in the space
- A unique method to finding the perfect co-founders
- Sustainability as a business and how make these important changes
And much more!
Resources:
Unwrapit website: https://www.unwrapit.com/
Linsay Moran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linsaymoran/
Sponsored by:
Girl Gang Code https://thegirlgang.ca/r?id=m1u36b
Three Ships Beauty Code MADEITHAPPEN20
Shop SheKind Code MADEIT20
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LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/made-it-happen-podcast
This week's WE RISE episode is featuring Colleen Stark, founder of Canoe Point Design Co.!
Collen is a brand and web designer, brand strategist, and serial entrepreneur. Her goal in life is to create the business of her dreams to support the lifestyle she wants and to help others do the same by creating strategic, beautiful visuals that support and encourage business success.
She's worked with clients who have been featured in Entrepreneur, Bustle, Martha Stewart Weddings, and more. These women are at the top of their game and being a part of their journey is what lights her up and fuels her fire.
We talk about:
- Being a serial entrepreneur and how to know when to actually act on a new business idea
- Hiring a business coach and how to find the right fit for YOU
- Being a mother while running a business & time management
- Being authentic on social media as a business owner
- Branding advice for a new business owner & attracting your ideal audience
And so much more!
Resources:
Website: https://canoepointdesignco.ca/
Sponsored by:
The Girl Gang https://thegirlgang.ca/r?id=m1u36b
Three Ships Beauty Code MADEITHAPPEN20
Shop SheKind Code MADEIT20
Podcast Brought to you by:
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Connect With Us:
Website: www.madeithappenpod.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/madeithappenpodcast/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/made-it-happen-podcast
This special edition episode is brought to you by EPICentre's Venture Women Program, featuring Penny Cardelli founder of Snow Peak Cold Brew and Lauren McReynolds & Tanis Jaques founders of Charming Sally!
Lauren and Tanis, two social golfers and fashion enthusiasts, met in the summer of 2019 at a Ladies’ s golf event. Since then, they’ve golfed together every week and continuously discussed the lack of availability of feminine, flattering and functional golf clothing. As another golf season approached, they decided it was time to do something about it and, Charming Sally was born.
While designing their initial collection they also discovered how over consumerism and an increased use of synthetic fabrics has had a huge negative impact on the environment. Their mission is to offer the modern female golfer a more sustainable and ethical option in women’s golf apparel without the compromise of high style. Charming Sally is a fashion forward lifestyle brand supporting women on a path of discovery and connection with herself, people and the planet.
Snow Peak Cold Brew is a local beverage company that delivers fresh cold brew coffees and teas right to your door! We use local ingredients while remaining environmentally conscious to bring you the best product possible! We brew our coffee/tea for 24 hours to let the flavours shine through. In each bottle you can find local honey, simple ingredients, and a bold flavour to keep you energized for the whole day! We hope to be your favourite cold brew supplier!
We talk about:
- Starting up their product-based businesses
- The importance of listening to your audience & gaining feedback
- Building a community around your business
- Marketing your product and building brand awareness
And much more!
EPICentre strives to build a more inclusive and innovative ecosystem to support women changemakers through the EPIC VentureWomen Program. This program provides female founders and co-founders the opportunity to explore their ideas, increase their entrepreneurial skills, and build a business that is future-proof.
Since late August, seven women-led ventures have been engaging in several workshops, networking events, team-building exercises, group discussions, mentor and advisory meetings, and more.
Join us on Thursday, December 9th for the VentureWomen Final Pitch Competition where each of the seven ventures will pitch their business idea to a panel of judges and LIVE audience. Three awards, sponsored by the Shibley Righton LLP, Lucas Imagine Fund, and Logic Executive Search & Workplace Solutions, will be available to the presenting teams:
Top Pitch Award: $3,000She Inspires Award: $1,000People’s Choice Award: $1,000The People’s Choice Award will be determined by the LIVE audience. A voting poll will be available after each team has presented for the audience to vote on their favourite pitch.
Register Now at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NzmYFOubSq-OPDltLaVPnQ
Resources:
Charming Sally
Website: charmingsally.ca
Instagram: @charmingsally_
Snow Peak Cold Brew
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snowpeakcoldbrew/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/snowpeakcoldbrew/
Website: https://www.snowpeakcoldbrew.ca/
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This special edition episode is brought to you by EPICentre's Venture Women Program, featuring Alex Wilder, founder of Future of Science Network & Jacqui Verellen, founder of Verellen Music Academy!
The FoS Shoppe is a STEM themed apparel shop with the purpose of funding an up and coming nonprofit, the Future of Science (FoS) Network. FoS strives to bring diverse industry professionals into secondary school classrooms and bridge the gap between groups in STEM fields.
Miss. Jacqui started her musical journey at the age of 4. Having a very musical family, Jacqueline began playing the piano and singing for fun. Soon after, she started lessons with her very first music teacher. Thanks to the fantastic instruction of her music teachers, Jacqueline went on to study at the University of Western Ontario where she graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Music. Additionally, Jacqueline completed the Music Business program at Humber College. After graduating she decided to move to Toronto to continue teaching and to immerse herself in the creative arts. Jacqui taught over 300 young students in Early Childhood Music Programs, and designed curriculum for two academies in the Toronto area. Whilst doing so, Jacqui studied Developmental Psychology to design her very own Music Munchkin's classes around the developmental stages of learning.
We talk about:
- Fears of starting a business & how to overcome this
- Organization & time management tips for business and school
- How they took their idea & actually turned it into a business
- Valuable resources for starting a business & what they've learned so far
EPICentre strives to build a more inclusive and innovative ecosystem to support women changemakers through the EPIC VentureWomen Program. This program provides female founders and co-founders the opportunity to explore their ideas, increase their entrepreneurial skills, and build a business that is future-proof.
Since late August, seven women-led ventures have been engaging in several workshops, networking events, team-building exercises, group discussions, mentor and advisory meetings, and more.
Join us on Thursday, December 9th for the VentureWomen Final Pitch Competition where each of the seven ventures will pitch their business idea to a panel of judges and LIVE audience. Three awards, sponsored by the Shibley Righton LLP, Lucas Imagine Fund, and Logic Executive Search & Workplace Solutions, will be available to the presenting teams:
- Top Pitch Award: $3,000
- She Inspires Award: $1,000
- People’s Choice Award: $1,000
The People’s Choice Award will be determined by the LIVE audience. A voting poll will be available after each team has presented for the audience to vote on their favourite pitch.
Register Now: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NzmYFOubSq-OPDltLaVPnQ
Resources:
Verellen Music Academy: www.verellenmusicacademy.com
FoS: www.facebook.com/FoSNetwork
Podcast Brought to you by:
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This week's episode is featuring Jess Hunichen and Emily Ward, co-founders of the multi-faceted influencer and PR agency, Shine & founders of The BodCon.
Jess Hunichen and Emily Ward are the co-founders of the multi-faceted influencer and PR agency, Shine. After launching Shine PR January 2015, the team quickly saw the opportunity to fill a void in the influencer landscape. In November 2015, Shine Influencers was born, built to serve as a resource for brands and marketing/PR agencies with one-on-one talent management and campaign strategy consulting.
Building on the rapid success, the team has expanded to represent celebrities, athletes, and social talent with offices in Toronto, Los Angeles, and Montreal.
After witnessing the incredible conversations taking place in the social space around body confidence, Founders of Shine Talent Group, Jess Hunichen and Emily Ward wanted to build a platform that would help amplify these voices and allow this community to share in an experience that would bring people together and help further the impact of this movement.
The BodCon now includes a weekly podcast and mini events throughout the year leading up to our annual conference. Through these initiatives we bring our network together and delve deeper into topics that surround the body confidence journey.
We talk about:
- Transitioning from Public Relations focus to the influencer space
- Changes in the influencer industry over the past 6 years
- Key elements to making it in the influencer space as a creator & an agency
- The two sides of social media & finding your positive community
- How the BodCon got started and the impact it has
- Breaking into the influencer space & their unique tactic of finding key partners
Resources:
Shine: shinetalentgroup.com/
BodCon: thebodcon.com/
Sponsored by:
Three Ships Beauty Code MADEITHAPPEN20
Shop SheKind Code MADEIT20
Podcast Brought to you by:
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This week's episode is featuring Jaime Bell, founder of Contracts Market!
Jaime Bell is a business lawyer and founder of Contracts Market, which provides legal contract templates for Canadian entrepreneurs. After working in corporate law for almost a decade, Jaime wanted to create and easier and more affordable way for freelancers to get instant access to lawyer-drafted and industry specific contracts without the steep legal fees. She created Contracts Market as a one-stop shop for business owners to get the contracts needed to run their business so they can feel confident knowing they are legally protected.
We talk about:
- What made her decide to get into law
- Transitioning from corporate law to starting her own business
- Resources she used to overcome the fears of starting a business
- One item that is often overlooked by business owners - but can have a HUGE impact!
- Starting not one, but two businesses during the pandemic
- How contracts can truly impact your business & services
Resources:
Website: www.thecontractsmarket.com
Instagram: @contractsmarket
Get a Contract: www.thecontractsmarket.com
Sponsored by:
Three Ships Beauty Code MADEITHAPPEN20
Shop SheKind Code MADEIT20
Podcast Brought to you by:
Elevatepodcastco.com
Powered by:
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Connect With Us:
Website: www.madeithappenpod.com/
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This week's episode is featuring Betty Gulko, Confidence + Mindset Consultant/Coach, Inspiring Speaker, Podcast Founder Host Chat w Betty and Positivity Infused Content Creator!
After receiving a double masters degree and working in the field of therapy with children on the Autistic Spectrum, Betty Gulko began to pursue her passion for creativity. She started her business and blog SuchaBetty, LLC while working as an editorial fashion stylist in NYC and sharing her own fashion, beauty, and lifestyle creations on Instagram. With her passion to inspire and positivity infused content, she began to mentor teens about self esteem. Betty, ‘your glow up bestie’, is now spreading her personal story to inspire each and every one of you, young or old, to believe that through your mindset and confidence you can change the direction of your life. Through one on one consulting/coaching, Betty guides you towards elevating your life from the inside out to GLOW UP in all areas of your life - Confidence on Video, Confidence in Dating, Confidence with your Voice. Join The GLOW UP Club today.
We talk about:
- How her childhood in foster care led her to build barriers & struggle to find who she was
- The transition from being a Behavioral Therapist, to a Stylist, to a Business Owner & Coach
- Confidence tips for anyone struggling with self-esteem & building her GLOW UP Community
- How she lefts herself up when she is feeling down or unmotivated & what inspires her
And much more!
Resources:
Website: www.bettygulko.com
Social Media: @bettygulko @chatwithbetty
Sponsored by:
Three Ships Beauty Code MADEITHAPPEN20
Shop SheKind Code MADEIT20
Podcast Brought to you by:
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This week's episode is featuring Sophie Gray, founder of DiveThru!
Sophie Gray is the founder of DiveThru, a mental wellness company that helps you DiveThru what you go thru. They work with mental health professionals to create resources that help you to take charge of your mental wellbeing.
Sophie shares her work with an audience of over 400,000 through her personal social channels. Her work has been featured in Cosmopolitan, People, Women’s Health, Refinery29, Marie Claire, Yahoo, Shape, Self, and many more.
Sophie had built an audience of over 500,000 people through her social channels where she regularly talked about physical wellness. In reality? Her mental health was struggling. She was continually pretending to be fine when she was, in fact, very much not fine.
Flash forward, Sophie was traveling for work, and her mental health had had enough. Upon boarding a connecting flight, her body and mind revolted and threw her into a full on panic attack. The end result? A 38 hour drive home… 3200 kilometers to be exact.
After arriving home from her cross country drive, she realized she could no longer pretend things were fine and embarked on a journey that involved a whole lot of crying, journaling, therapy and self-realizations.
After finding stable ground, Sophie began sharing her experience with her audience. She was both comforted and upset to learn that so many people felt the same as she did. She also realized quickly that there wasn’t a place where people could discuss their experiences and learn about themselves at the same time. Additionally, she saw that mental health support often came (and continues to come) with a high price tag or academic terminology that gets in the way of accessing help.
Because of this and a desire to prevent others from feeling like they were going to shit their pants and throw up at the same time, Sophie began building DiveThru.
We talk about:
- Transitioning from the fitness industry to the mental health field
- Going from a solopreneur to building a team with DiveThru
- Advice for anyone struggling with mental health right now
- Challenges she's overcome and fundraising through the pandemic
- Dealing with self-doubt as a business owner
- How she takes care of her mental health while running a business & advice for other entrepreneurs
And much more!
Sophie also answers some listener questions and a quick rapid-fire question round!
Resources:
DiveThru
Website: divethru.com/
Instagram: instagram.com/letsdivethru/
Sophie Gray
Instagram: instagram.com/sophiegray/
Sponsored by:
Three Ships Beauty Code MADEITHAPPEN20
Shop SheKind Code MADEIT20
Podcast Brought to you by:
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This week's juicy episode is featuring Monique Bryan; an international speaker, workshop host and executive producer of personal brands. Following her battle with breast cancer, Monique built her multi-faceted branding platform on the principles of presence, audience, and sound marketing strategy to leverage her expertise and thirst for self-motivated results.
Monique has a BA in fashion design, three startups under her belt (so she knows a bit about entrepreneur life) and has developed programming in partnership with companies throughout Asia and exciting global brands like PayPal, Burberry, Toms Shoes and Shopify. Bringing over 15 years of top-level industry experience in the areas of product development, entrepreneurship, branding, business development, and personal styling today, today Monique runs a successful personal brand consultancy while being a brand herself. When you work with her, you’re getting a creative director for your brand. She will train you on how to clarify your messaging, build your unique brand personality and up-level your style profile so you can amplify your credibility in your industry and use your personal brand as a visual communication power tool.
Monique is a breast cancer survivor and has grown an engaged community of over 15,700+ people on social media, while in remission. She is also the host of a 5 Star rated Podcast, The Juicy CEO, speaks on international stages and has been featured on Global television, in Entrepreneur and Elle Magazine, Bustle, and countless podcasts.
Her motto is, “Our personal brand is all we have, so it is your job to control the message going out about you.
We talk about:
- The importance of your reputation in the marketplace and what people find when they google you
- Going from the corporate world to entrepreneurship and what to consider before transitioning full-time
- How being diagnosed with breast cancer pushed her to do what she wanted to be doing all along
- What you can be doing right now if you're looking to become a speaker at events
- How to clean up your online presence & really build your personal brand to who you want to be
- Having a face and personality to your business while disconnecting your personal brand
Plus fun rapid-fire questions to finish off!
Resources
Monique Bryan
Website:
www.moniquebryan.com/
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/moniquebryan_co/
Sponsored by:
Three Ships Beauty Code MADEITHAPPEN20
Shop SheKind Code MADEIT20
Podcast Brought to you by:
Elevatepodcastco.com
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Connect With Us:
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LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/made-it-happen-podcast
This episode is featuring Jass Stupak, Holistic Nutritionist & Founder of Nourish with Jass!
As a new holistic nutritionist, Jass was working 3 different jobs in order to “make it” as a self-employed, private practice practitioner. Through trial and error, she pushed herself until she was the best nutritionist she could be for her clients. Just one year later, Jass took her nutrition business full-time and never looked back.
Today, she is the go-to nutritionist mentor that helps new nutritionists build their businesses from the ground up. As someone who has been through it all, Jass teaches all her secrets and experiences through her 1:1 Bloom in Business program or her self-paced program.
We talk about:
- How her business started through Instagram & how to get noticed online
- The toxic mentality of having to have a 6-figure business and how to overcome this messaging
- How her own personal experience got her into nutrition
- The struggle of setting prices and trying to 'please' clients
- Taking her side-hustle full-time
And much more!
Resources
Website: www.nourishwithjass.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/nourishwithjass/
Sponsored by:
Three Ships Beauty Code MADEITHAPPEN20
Shop SheKind Code MADEIT20
Elevate Podcast Co. Elevatepodcastco.com
Podcast Brought to you by:
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This week's episode is featuring Katy Williams, founder of Miller Box Co.!
"Currently a full-time Events Manager, I assist in the planning and execution of weddings, corporate retreats, & hotel events. Growing up, I always had a passion for giving in every sense of the word. I often used my creativity to connect my family and friends through family outings & events. My love for gifting really became apparent when I moved away from home and began to miss the connection I craved celebrating every birthday and holiday with my family. Enter Miller Box Co. Truth be told, I was never a fan of giving a gift that didn't have a purpose or convey any emotions. I love seeing someone cry or laugh when they read a note card, or smile when they see those bath salts they've been asking for. I started this business to follow my passion for supporting small businesses, sourcing quality products that people love & lessening our impact on the environment with reusable gift boxes made from recycled materials. "
We talk about:
- How her parent's story inspired the business through thoughtful gift-giving
- What business platforms have been key in her success
- Why she decided to donate a portion of all sales to a local organization
- What marketing strategies have led to the growth in Miller Box Co.
- The behind the scenes of running a business with a full-time job
And more!
Resources:
Website: https://millerboxco.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/millerboxco/
Sponsored by:
Three Ships Beauty Code MADEITHAPPEN20
Shop SheKind Code MADEIT20
Podcast Brought to you by:
Elevatepodcastco.com
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LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/made-it-happen-podcast
\
This week's episode is featuring Katie and Jenni, founders of The Girl Gang Canada!
The Girl Gang Canada is an online collective of small, female-forward, Canadian businesses. Their mission is to encourage each other to reach goals above and beyond through collaborations, events, promotions and wholesale opportunities. They are all about community, integrity, honesty, inclusivity, empowerment and our fellow girl gang’s successes. Not only does The Girl Gang give you access to unique and exclusively Canadian-made goods, but they provide a platform to showcase the top Canadian creatives and local goods and service providers nationwide. Shop local, shop national, shop Canadian.
We talk about:
- Building the community of 'The Girl Gang'
- The benefits of supporting small businesses
- How to grow an online e-commerce store
- Learning how to set boundaries in your business and saying no
- Knowing your worth and how to price your products
- The biggest lesson they learned as entrepreneurs early on in their business
And more!
Resources
Website
www.thegirlgang.ca
Instagram
www.instagram.com/thegirlgang.ca
Made it Happen Powered by; Podcast Agency:
www.elevatepodcastco.com
This week's guest is featuring Courtney St. Croix, the founder of LeadHer Publishing & The LeadHer Collective. She is a 10x Bestselling Author, Publishing Coach, Podcast Producer, and Business Mentor. If you are looking to write your own book or want to be a published author, this episode is for you!
Courtney is here to be your partner in taking your concept from IDEA to BESTSELLER. The LeadHer Collective is for womxn who lead themselves and others. LeadHer serves
womxn in many different ways, including through daily social media inspiration, group leadership programs, 1:1 coaching, mentorship, The LeadHer Show (Podcast) and of course, inside LeadHer Publishing we assist women who are ready to become authors.
LeadHer Publishing supports womxn who want to become authors with varying authorship programs. Collaborative Author Projects are for the women with no time to think let alone write a whole book; her Self- Publishing Course is for the woman who wants to figure it out herself, and her 1:1 Publishing and Mentorship spaces are for women with a solid book plan who just want to write and delegate the rest.
We talk about:
- How she got into publishing
- What roadblocks she has overcome in her journey to starting her business
- The process of becoming a published author
- How to overcome the imposter syndrome of becoming an author
- How to self-publish your own book & the benefits
- What to do first if you want to write a book but don't know where to start
- Getting over the fear and logistics of publishing
And more!
Resources
LeadHER website
www.lead-her.com
Self-Publish Planner
www.lead-her.com/selfpublishplanner
Podcast Brought to you by:
Podcast Agency, Elevate Podcast Co.
www.elevatepodcastco.com
This week's episode is featuring Elise Gasbarrino, Editor-in-Chief at Style Canada, and founder of Pink Pearl Canada.
Elise has spent over a decade establishing herself in the world of fashion and lifestyle. Living in New York City for the majority of that time and working for iconic brands such as Oscar de la Renta and British luxury brand Burberry.
Elise is passionate about her involvement in initiatives that support women. Her entrepreneurial spirit has led her to invest in female-founded start-up organizations. Her personal experience with cancer lead her to found Pink Pearl Canada, a registered Canadian charitable organization focused on bringing together young women affected by cancer through a network of peer support and innovative programs.
Elise is a recipient of the Burberry Icon Award, has been recognized by Cancer Care Ontario with their Human Touch Award, and received the Community Leadership Award from her alma mater The Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University.
We talk about:
- Taking risks as an entrepreneur
- Purchasing Style.ca and the growth of Style Canada
- Starting her own charitable organization after her own personal experience with cancer
- Balancing her time with running two businesses
- Challenges she's overcome with her business
And more!
Resources
style.ca/
pinkpearlcanada.org/
This week's episode is featuring Sonya Denton, founder of weDstll!
weDstll was founded by Sonya Denton, a former CBC and CTV reporter and news anchor who developed vitiligo early in her career. Since then, she prioritized health and wellness and eventually, her skin cleared up. During her journey, she discovered her passion: sharing the right information to help people focus on becoming the best version of themselves.weDstll is a mobile beauty app that matches shoppers with each other and natural beauty brands based on their shared values such as sustainability, philanthropy, ethical, vegan, cruelty-free. This is a first of its kind beauty platform that connects like-minded users through contextual storytelling, meanwhile focusing on both inner and outer beauty. Sonya Denton, founder and CEO of weDstll saw a lack of transparency with many brands regarding how products are made, sourced and distributed and created weDstll to help bridge this gap by only working with honest, transparent and clean companies.
We talk about:
- Where the idea for weDstll came from
- What surprised her about the beauty industry
- Hiring passion over skills
- Transitioning from broadcasting to entrepreneurship
- Marketing her new start-up
And more!
Resources:
wedstll.com
Podcast Agency:
elevatepodcastco.com
This WE RISE episode is featuring Monica Borrelli, founder of Melt Skincare & Melt Body Health!
Born in Windsor, Ontario Canada and raised in an entrepreneurial family, Monica is the founder and owner of Melt Body Health & Melt Skincare.
At a young age, Monica found her three passions: entrepreneurship, nutrition and skincare. After studying the science of Nutrition and graduating in 2017 from The University of Western Ontario with her Bachelors of Science in Food and Nutrition, Monica’s journey began. She set out to help others feel more confident and comfortable in their skin with body contouring and skin tightening treatments as well as a skincare line that focuses solely on serums - her favorite skincare product.
Monica has always been fascinated with the science behind body treatments and skincare and has been influenced by serums since they were the only products that agreed with her sensitive skin. Educating and exciting others to take care of their skin and body, lead a healthy lifestyle to increase longevity and improve their quality of life has always been Monica's true inspiration. Her overall objective is to educate consumers, inspire them to look and feel better, become more confident with their skin and body and teach them how to live a healthy enjoyable life save and effective skincare products and body enhancing treatments.
We talk about:
- What she learned coming from a family of entrepreneurs
- How her background in nutrition led her to start her own business
- Why patience and consistency is key in entrepreneurship
- Knowing your strengths and why outsourcing is critical
- Starting a podcast for her business & using it to educate
- Learning how to give up control in your business & finding the right people
And more!
Resources
www.meltbodyhealth.com
www.meltskincare.com
Beyond the Skin Podcast
anchor.fm/monica-borrelli/episodes/Beyond-the-Skin
RISE Windsor-Essex
www.risewindsoressex.com
This week's episode is featuring Tedi Bezna, founder of Tedi Bezna Digital Marketing!
Tedi has been working in Digital Marketing for over 6 years and specializes in search engine optimization, web content strategy, and conversion rate optimization. She brings a wealth of experience working with clients ranging from mom-and-pop local businesses to international beauty and restaurant brands. She is passionate about making SEO accessible by providing education to her community and clients and delivering her services with transparency and integrity. Tedi is a third-generation entrepreneur, wife, and mama living in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
We talk about:
- How coming from generations of entrepreneurs shaped her path to starting her own business & what she learned from them
- Bouncing back from uncertain times and advice for others going through a setback
- The hard truths about balancing chasing your dreams and managing everyday responsibilities
- Keeping motivated with her business even when feeling down
- How she set herself apart as a service provider - and how you can too!
And more!
Resources
Tedi Bezna:
https://tedibezna.com/
This week's episode is featuring Julie Cole, co-founder of Mabel's Labels!
Julie Cole is a recovered lawyer, mom of six and co-founder of Mabel’s Labels. She has helped her company bring their product to a worldwide market, gain media recognition and win countless awards. Cole is a passionate entrepreneur, published author, and sought after speaker. Julie is no stranger to the media, having appeared on NBC’s The Today Show, HLN’s Raising America, Breakfast Television, The Marilyn Denis Show, CP24, among many others. As a blogger and writer, her articles have appeared in The Huffington Post, Today’s Parent, The Globe and Mail, Profit Magazine, Working Mother Magazine, Chicken Soup For the Soul - Power Moms and numerous websites.
When she’s not juggling her busy family and professional life, Julie is an engaged community member serving on boards and volunteering. She is passionate about women’s issues, mentoring young entrepreneurs, and social justice.
We talk about:
- The importance of brands having a face for their business and being relatable
- Managing her time running a business with six children
- Her personal story of why she wanted to start her own business
- Advice for getting featured and business PR
- The struggles of working mother's during the pandemic
And more!
Resources:
mabelslabels.ca
This special edition episode brought to you in partnership with EPICentre's Venture Women Progam is featuring Stephanie and Jillian founders of McCallum and Tiessen Development & Sarah Haefling founder of Elevate Podcast Co., with special guest host, Sydney Thompson from EPICentre.
Stephanie and Jillian co-founded M&T development in the spring of 2021 with a vision of expanding the options available for affordable housing and socially responsible development. The pair had worked together for nearly a decade in the not-for-profit Sector and were motivated by the number of seniors they seen who were living in deteriorating houses with few affordable alternatives beyond long term care homes. Stephanie and Jillian had been successfully renovating, renting and investing in real estate for many years and realized that they had the passion and the skill set to expand their work in this area. When Jillian set off to find a builder to build a coach house for another business she owns hosting short term property rentals she quickly discovered that the local market didn’t offer many turn-key options for this type of a small build. At the same time, Stephanie was pursuing courses to become a registered home builder in Ontario so that she could expand her opportunities from house flipping to include land development and new builds. As women managing jobs and family priorities the two overcame many challenges to make their passion a reality. Tune in to hear more about their story.
Sarah Haefling founded Elevate Podcast Co. in January of 2021. After launching and hosting her own podcast, Made it Happen, in May of 2020, the podcast had grown rapidly and gained a lot of traction, which led to many amazing partnerships and sponsorships, along with being ranked in the Top 40 Entrepnureship Podcast in Canada. Through Made it Happen, Sarah found a true passion for podcasting and wanted to help other business owners and entrepreneurs launch a podcast of their own. After being approached by many individuals, she saw the real need for this kind of service in the industry, as it continued to grow quickly. With her background in Business in Marketing coming in, she officially launched her business earlier this year and looks forward to what is to come with Elevate Podcast Co.
Resources:
McCallum and Tiessen Development
Website launching in late July at www.mccallumandtiessendevelopment.com
Facebook: @mandtdevelopment
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mccallum.tiessendevelopment/
Join one of their upcoming information sessions to learn more about Additional Dwelling Units and the pricing and design options for their small home models.
Elevate Podcast Co.
www.elevatepodcastco.com/
www.instagram.com/elevatepodcastco/
www.linkedin.com/company/elevate-podcast-co/
Made it Happen
madeithappenpod.com/
www.instagram.com/madeithappenpodcast/
www.linkedin.com/company/made-it-happen-podcast
EPICentre Venture Women Program
www.epicentreuwindsor.ca/epic-venturewomen
This special edition episode brought to you in partnership with EPICentre's Venture Women Progam is featuring Violet Azenabor and Ziquita Riberdy!
Ziquita Riberdy is the founder of Divide Magazine, a digital, global centric, contemporary art magazine focused on showcasing artworks from emerging artists and interviewing established creators.
Divide Magazine pre launched in October of 2020, during the pandemic, and has accelerated it’s growth since then with over 500 artists submissions and thousands on readers on Issuu.com
Violet Azenabor is the founder of Canvas of Diamonds! She has a background as a marketing strategist and content creator, which she used to build her personal YouTube channel to over 42,000 subscribers. She's also worked with companies in Canada and the United States to build and execute their marketing strategies. Now she is using her experience in marketing to grow her new business, Canvas of Diamonds. They are an online store that sells Diamond Painting Kits for people interesting in picking up a fun, new, and relaxing arts and crafts hobby. At Canvas of Diamonds, they believe that everyone should have a creative outlet and they strive to provide just that with their shimmering Diamond Painting Kits and Accessories. Similar to paint by numbers or cross-stitching, Diamond Painting is a fun and relaxing hobby in which you apply thousands of resin “diamonds” to a coded adhesive canvas. The end product leaves you with your very own creation of a sparkling Canvas of Diamonds to decorate your home.
We talk about:
- What made them decide to start their own business & join Venture Women
- Challenges in the creative industry as a business
- Barriers to entry in the market
- Learning PR quickly and the two sides of gaining press
- Essentials on social media as a business owner
- Behind the scenes of their business people don't see
And more!
**Resources
Divide MagazineWebsite: https://dividemagazine.com/ Canvas of Diamonds**
Website: https://www.canvasofdiamonds.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/canvasofdiamonds/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canvasofdiamonds/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@canvasofdiamonds?lang=en
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/canvas-of-diamonds
EPICentre Venture Women Program
www.epicentreuwindsor.ca/epic-venturewomen
This special edition episode brought to you in partnership with EPICentre's Venture Women Progam is featuring Erika Pozzuoli, founder of Pure Mentality, and Carla Bragança, founder of Bazar Brazil.
Erika Pozzuoli is a Certified Aromatherapist, registered social worker and mental health worker. She is the owner of Pure Mentality, Mental Wellness Boutique, offering one of a kind services and products that promote mental wellness and self-care.
Carla Bragança is an industrial engineer with more than 15 years of experience in the automotive industry. She is also business and project management certified. After maternity, this busy life wasn't fitting her lifestyle anymore and she decided to take control of her own future. In 2020 she started an Academia career and also founded with her husband Bazar Brazil, which is an online business that sells Brazilian products. Bazar Brazil has as purpose to offer Brazilians and lovers of Brazil the most renowned brands and products with unique flavours from their beloved country. The goal of her business is to unite and strengthen the Brazilian community by disclosing their culture and traditions in the Windsor-Essex region, besides inspiring other communities to discover a whole new world of unique flavors.
We talk about:
- Where the idea for their own business came from
- What made them apply to Venture Women Program
- Fears they had to overcome with starting their businesses
- The importance of self-care as a business owner and time-management tips
- The loneliness of entrepreneurship & finding your community
And more!
Resources
My Pure Mentality
www.mypurementality.ca
Instagram & Facebook
@mypurementality
Bazar Brazil
www.bazarbrazil.ca
Instagram & Facebook
@bazarbrazil
EPICentre Venture Women Program
www.epicentreuwindsor.ca/epic-venturewomen
This week's episode is featuring Moria Hazan, founder of Mor Media!
Moria is a CEO coach and Marketing Consultant helping Female CEO’s Elevate their brands, Raise their impact and Activate their income to create a new ERA.
She’s an ex-corporate Marketing and E-commerce specialist that managed a multi-million dollar portfolio and 50x it in under 2 years, and now helps women create that success without sacrificing health for hustle.
We talk about:
- Going from managing portfolio's of brands to helping women create success without sacrificing health and hustle
- How a personal experience pushed her to start her dream business
- Hustle mentality and how to avoid it
- Recognizing the signs of burnout
- Differentiating her business from other coaches & how to attract your dream clients
- Building authority online as a business owner
-Finding the right business coach for you
And more!
Resources
www.mormedianyc.com/
Podcast Production
www.elevatepodcastco.com/
Get social with us!
www.instagram.com/madeithappenpodcast/
Sponsors
Three Ships Beauty Code MADEITHAPPEN20
Shop SheKind Code MADEIT20
This week's episode is featuring Diana Nguyen of Lux Second Chance!
Diana is a former trader/analyst who now curates luxury goods from US, Canada and France.
When Diana’s banking career took her overseas to Asia, she discovered her love for designer luxury goods. Diana quickly noticed that the pre-loved consignment market in Asia was far more advanced compared to North American markets. When she returned to Toronto, she decided to launch Lux Second Chance by selling 23 of her own handbags and applied the same knowledge of the stock market to secondhand -- buy and sell wisely.
Lux Second Chance brings the world’s best pre-loved designer luxury goods into the palm of your hands. Lux Second Chance source and curate beautiful collections of high-end brands, featuring both timeless classics, and trendy, in-the-moment items – many of which are not available in North American markets. Some rare pieces even come from private sales, having never been available on retail shelves. From only the most discerning, reputable, and prestigious consignment shops from London, Paris, New York, and other designer-obsessed cities, right to your front door.
We talk about:
- Transitioning from the banking world to being an entrepreneur and how it wasn't the 'slow-paced' path she thought it would be
- Some background on fast fashion and how her company works towards sustainability
- Expanding her business to a new country each year and how she has managed this growth
- How people can shop second-hand wisely and what to look for
- What marketing tactic she used to really get 'over the hump'
- Putting processes in place and setting up her business for longevity
And more!
Resources
luxsecondchance.com/
www.instagram.com/luxsecondchance/
Podcast Production
www.elevatepodcastco.com/
Get social with us!
www.instagram.com/madeithappenpodcast/
Sponsors
Three Ships Beauty Code MADEITHAPPEN20
Shop SheKind Code MADEIT20
This week's WE RISE episode is sponsored by WEtech Alliance!
WEtech Alliance provides Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent tech and tech-enabled entrepreneurs and companies with business services, training, mentorship and strategic connections to help bring new ideas to market, scale to the next level and build a dynamic culture and a community of innovation. WEtech Alliance has served as the catalyst for technology and innovation in the Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent regions since 2011. Visit them at www.wetech-alliance.com or connect with them on all social media platforms at @WEtechAlliance
This episode is featuring Emily Johnson, Founder of StrongerU Senior Fitness.
Emily Johnson is the Founder and Creative Director of StrongerU Senior Fitness. She is on a mission to innovate and elevate senior fitness by empowering recreation, fitness, and wellness professionals, and senior serving organizations, to deliver exceptional senior fitness experiences. She currently works with individuals and organizations across Canada, the US, Australia, and New Zealand and has trained over 500 senior fitness instructors.
We talk about:
- Where the idea for StrongerU Senior Fitness came from
- What made her decide to follow her passion and start her own business instead of waiting for a company to give her the chance to start what the world needed
- The benefits technology played for her business and how she had an advantage being the only online seniour fitness course
- Naturally expanding her business and considerations for going International
- What marketing tactics have worked for her business
- Making the transition from a 'side-hustle' to a full-time business owner
And more!
Resources
www.strongeruseniorfitness.com
linkedin.com/company/strongeru-seniorfitness
https://www.instagram.com/strongeruseniorfit/
Sponsors
www.wetech-alliance.com
www.risewindsoressex.com
This week's episode is featuring Kara Latta, Founder of The Playful Warrior!
Kara is the Founder and Chief Fun Officer of The Playful Warrior, a brand that reconnects adults back to their inherent nature and playfulness. She is also a Play and Mindset Coach and the Creator of ThoughtPLAY. ThoughtPLAY is an innovative 8-week PLAY journey that transforms your subconscious mind and uses the power of uninhibited creativity to cultivate self-worth and create a life that excites you. It features the PLAYBox and PLAYBook delivered to your door (mail to get excited about!!) Kara is also a Speaker and Certified Life & Success Coach, NLP Practitioner, Hypnotherapist, TIME Techniques and EFT Tapping Practitioner.
We talk about:
- Feeling lost in her corporate job and starting her business during a low point in her life
- Becoming the first play coach for adults
- The benefits of connecting with ourselves through play and getting creative
- The isolation of entrepreneurship and finding your community
- How she markets her unique business
- Going from a corporate job to a business owner and boundaries she put in place
- Plus, we chat about being Bradley Cooper's publicist for a day....
Resources
www.theplayfulwarrior.com
Sponsors
Three Ships Beauty Code MADEITHAPPEN20
Shop SheKind Code MADEIT20
This week's episode is featuring Rachel Kelly, founder of Make Lemonade!
Rachel is the Chief Lemon behind the coworking community, Make Lemonade. Rachel believes that everyone deserves to feel like a boss; whether they’re the CEO or starting their first internship. She encourages everyone to go after their dreams, no matter how big or small, or what lemon life has handed them.
Make Lemonade is a design-forward coworking environment, where the coffee is strong, the lighting is bright, and phone calls can be made without worrying who might be making a racket beside you. They now also have a virtual coworking community connecting women in business. The club is to help you be held accountable to your goals, connect with a community that cares, and join calls that boost your mood and productivity.
We talk about:
- Starting Make Lemonade and overcoming imposter syndrome
- How Make Lemonade has evolved over the past year and pivoting to a virtual environment
- Why community in entrepreneurship is so important
- Advice for goal setting and avoiding burnout
- What makes this community so successful
- Opening a brick and mortar at 26 years old
And much more!
Resources:
www.makelemonade.ca/
This week's WE RISE episode is featuring Ava Droski, founder of Featherstone Music & Performing Arts Company and Author of ‘Photos of a Wren.'
Ava Droski is a local entrepreneur and author from Windsor, ON. In 2019, she opened a music school in Walkerville - Featherstone Music & Performing Arts Company. She also took the leap into the publishing process for her debut fiction novel, ‘Photos of a Wren’ the same year.
Ava graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music degree from the University of Windsor in 2016 and moved to Toronto where she taught professionally for two years at ‘On the Off Beat Music School’ - one of Toronto’s top-rated music schools in Leslieville. She also accepted a teaching position at ‘Rock This Way!’, a top-rated pop/rock performance-based music school in Vaughan. Ava believes that all students - of any age - should have fun in their lessons and she teaches with a student-centered approach.
Ava has always had a passion for writing and storytelling and began writing ‘Photos of a Wren’ ten years ago. Her debut novel has received early praise from local bestselling and award-winning author, Lynn McLaughlin. Ava believes that music and storytelling work hand-in-hand, and now finds her worlds colliding in a beautiful and unique way.
Her debut novel ‘Photos of a Wren’ is available for purchase at Amazon as of March 1st, 2021.
We talk about:
- The pressures of finding a 'secure job' coming out of highschool and eventually following her passion for music
- How she knew she wanted to open her own studio
- The beautiful story behind the name of her company
- How she's dealt with the pandemic with a newly launched business
- Dealing with burnout and ways in which she manages her time
- Writing her own novel and where this came from
- The fears of publishing and resources that have helped her through it
And more!
Resources
www.featherstonecompany.com
www.avadroski.com
Social Media
@ava.droski.author
@featherstonecompany
www.risewindsoressex.com
Sam Wallace is an Entrepreneur, Fitness Cover Model, Fat Loss Specialist, and Health and Wellness Coach. She is the Founder + CEO of Sam Wallace Fitness, an online personal training company where she specializes in helping her clients with weight loss and creating lifelong sustainability, based out of Phoenix, Arizona.
Samantha is passionate in helping other individuals regain their quality of life and helping her clients instill health and fitness into their everyday lives almost seamlessly. Her goal is to educate and empower men and women on the importance of their health and wellness through her online presence.
She has been featured on the cover of Scottsdale Health Magazine, The Side of Mayo Podcast with Nick White, and Beyond The Image Podcast with James Patrick. As well as recently influenced for Fab Fit Fun, Wycked Naturals, and Bodytrec. Sam thrives in helping others unlock their greatest potential by helping them create a lifestyle of balanced health and wellness.
We talk about:
- Going from the service industry to a full-time health coach and entrepreneur
- Key piece of health advice for women right now
- How to keep going when you're feeling unmotivated
- Prioritizing yourself, setting boundaries and non-negotiables
- How to gain media awareness and get featured in your dream publications
- How like don't generate leads & how to avoid a bad headspace in social media
- A key reminder when wanting to work with brands
And much more!
Resources
www.samwallacefitness.com
www.instagram.com/samwallacefit
Sponsors
Three Ships Beauty Code MADEITHAPPEN20
Shop SheKind Code MADEIT20
This episode is featuring Lauren Kurtz, founder of Après Actif!
Après Actif is a minimalist lifestyle apparel brand inspired by ski + snowboard culture.
It started as the pursuit of a better state of mind. We push ourselves out of our comfort zones and celebrate the small wins on a daily basis. Chasing the after-sport endorphin rush to experience the Après lifestyle.
Après Actif, strives to create minimalist apparel that can weather many seasons, but more importantly - their mission is to inspire our community to do just the same.
We talk about:
- Turning her blog into an apparel brand
- The fear of starting a business
- Competition with yourself as an entrepreneur and building confidence
- Key advice for getting into retail stores
- The growth of the company since 2019 and what has lead to this
- Building an audience first before a product
And more!
Resources:
apresactif.com/
Sponsors:
Sponsors:
Three Ships Beauty Code MADEITHAPPEN20
Shop SheKind Code MADEIT20
This week's episode is featuring Maureen Lucas, founder of LucasWorks!
Maureen is the Former President and CEO of LucasWorks!, a successful recruitment firm in Southwestern Ontario with offices in Windsor, Kitchener and London. Maureen was in business for thirteen years and for the last eight years she was one of Canada’s most successful female owned businesses, as acknowledged and ranked by Profit Magazine. She sold her business in 2017 to a large Canadian staffing firm.
Maureen is very active in her community and is currently involved on the Executive Board of the Windsor Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce As an active Rotarian with the Rotary Club of Windsor (1918) Maureen has chaired multiple committees and events including Art in the Park, Youth Services Committee, Children’s Fest and the club’s Centennial Planning Committee. In 2013, Maureen Co-Founded 100 Women Who Care Windsor Essex, a group that supports local charity work. It was the third chapter started in Canada and since that time there has been over 200 other chapters started in Canada. Our local group has raised almost a half million dollars for local charities and we are so proud of the women in this community who are involved.
“My other great joy comes from working with young entrepreneurs to assist them with the challenges of starting a business. The EPICentre has given me the opportunity to do that by asking me to be the Entrepreneur in Residence. I believe it is a full circle of starting a business to helping others to achieve their dreams."
We talk about:
- Lessons she learned quickly in her business & what she wishes she knew
- Creating a good contact list & how it benefits your business
- Always having a worst-case scenario
- The three ways you can go with your business
- What to look for in a mentor
- 'Failure to launch'
- Navigating negativity
- And more!
Resources
www.risewindsoressex.com
This week's episode is featuring Emma Yamamoto, founder of Emma's Accessories!
"My name is Emma Yamamoto and I am 17 years old and attend high school in Brampton, Ontario. I started my small business during one of the most challenging times of my life and despite any difficulties faced, I have been able to grow my business to what it is today. My idea for my small business started around April and I released my website at the start of June. Due to covid, I was temporarily laid off at my job working retail, school was all online, I was isolated and couldn't see my friends, no sporting events and everything was drastically changing. However, I took advantage of this time to be my own boss and make money from the comfort of my little bedroom. I want to show other people my age, younger and older that no matter the circumstances, you can truly do anything you put your mind to and encourage them to follow their passion. I have used my platform to also build a positive community of individuals who have helped me build my brand and also teach them more about entrepreneurship.
In addition to my passion for entrepreneurship, I am also recognized in my community for my athletic abilities. Since a very young age, I have played hockey and softball at the highest level as well as multiple sports within my school. I have been awarded a total of three "Female Athlete of the Year" awards and continue to play these sports while running my business and focusing on my academics. I bring sports into this because it is a huge passion of mine that has taught me skills that I have translated into my business. For example, taking risks, hard work, leadership, communication, and time management. Being a full-time student, participating in multiple sports at a time (7 days a week) can be extremely challenging but I have developed great time management skills that allow me to achieve my dreams. Although I may be slightly different than most teens, in the end, I am still a regular 17-year-old who makes mistakes and is constantly learning. "
We talk about:
- What inspired her to start her business at the age of 17
- How she learned to make her own jewelry
- Using her platform to reach more people for important initiatives
- A key element that has helped her business grow rapidly that many don’t realize
- How it doesn't take money to make money
- Learning the behind the scenes of running her business
- Raising $1,500 for BLM with her business initiative
And more!
This week's WE RISE episode is featuring Eryn and Janet, owners of Shop Aggregate, BeeKeeper Food Wraps & Bubble Gums Ltd!
Aggregate is a collective boutique specializing in small decor, eclectic giftware and accessories, sustainable necessities, and everyday essentials for families. They are located in the heart of the shopping and food & beverage scene in Windsor ON, at 1505 Ottawa Street.
Janet is the owner, founder, creator, maker, web designer, social media rep, communications lead, head of customer experience and the dreamer behind the business and brand of Bubble Gums Ltd. In what seemed like a pretty saturated market (amazing teething and sensory product businesses are everywhere!), she just couldn’t find what she was looking for. She wanted her little’s accessories to match outfits from current collections in stores, she wanted them to be affordable, versatile and safe. As a naturally inquisitive person, a leader and a high energy achiever, it was inevitable that this little mama dream would come to life. Through a crazy amount of dedication, belief and tenacity, this business has blossomed into a notable brand and an amazing opportunity to connect with individuals and the small business community.
Eryn is the founder of BeeKeeper Food Wraps, 100% natural and compostable food wraps to replace plastic in your kitchen and keep your food fresh. Made in Ontario with local beeswax, they use only local services and suppliers to make the best and most natural product possible.
We talk about:
- What inspired them to start their own individual businesses & Shop Aggregate
- Creating a unique store and what they wanted to do differently
- Giving up control in your business
- Learning the business as they go along
- Managing their time with running two businesses
- The biggest obstacle they’ve overcome with starting their own businesses
- Advice for finding the right business partner
And more!
Links:
shopaggregate.com
bubblegumsltd.com
Partnership:
risewindsoressex.com
Sponsorships:
www.shekind.ca 20% off using code MADEIT20www.threeshipsbeauty.com 20% using code MADEITHAPPEN20
This week's guest is Crystal McGrath, a Country Pop recording artist and songwriter from Calgary, Alberta!
In September 2019, Crystal released the Room to Breathe EP, and her latest release “Game On” inspired by artists such as Maren Morris, Carrie Underwood and Christina Aguilara is out September 2020.
“Game On” is a song to empower women to go after what they want, whether it be a dance at a club or going after the CEO position of a company. Produced by Juno- Award Winning Producer Spencer Cheyne(Brett Kissell, Jocelyn Alice), it is a feel good get up and dance anthem with country pop fusion making listeners want to hit repeat.
Crystal is an advocate for women’s empowerment and believes in the importance of using your voice and going after your goals in life. She is also the founder of “Live With Love” an online movement and mindset platform providing tools for women to live their best lives. Crystal has partnered with Indigo to bring her movement, mindset and music coaching as a part of their digital experience offerings.
She also hosts the podcast Crushing Chaos, sharing inspiring stories from women around the world on how they push through resistance in their personal and professional lives. No stranger to the stage, Crystal has performed all around the world including gigs in Canada,
USA, Mexico, UK, and Australia. She has shared the stage with Canadian Country heavyweights George Canyon and Aaron Pritchett to name a few. In November 2019, Crystal was invited to participate in Canada’s Music Incubator’s Artist Entrepreneur West professional development program at the National Music Centre, where she spent five-weeks developing her business.
We talk about:
- Getting into the music industry & how she knew that's where she was meant to be
- Her songwriting process and the inspiration behind her new song Game On
- Her experience in the Canada Music Incubator Artist Entrepreneur program and what she learned from it
- Starting multiple businesses and her passion for entrepreneurship
- How she got over the fear of not being good enough & tips for overcoming self-doubt
And more!
Website: www.crystalmcgrath.ca
Instagram: www.instagram.com/crystalmcgrath
Music Video: https://youtu.be/B2vQMFqpreM
Sponsors:
Three Ships Beauty Code MADEITHAPPEN20
Shop SheKind Code MADEIT20
This week's WE RISE episode is featuring Kat Pasquach, founder of Culture Shock Jewelry!
Indigenous-owned and family-operated, Culture Shock Jewelry's handcrafted business strives to create amazing jewelry and crafts that you will love. Living in the most southern city in Canada, they work hard to make sure that people from all over the world love their authentic pieces.
Their family is from the James Bay region and their work has spanned four generations of Cree women who have dedicated hours of planning, creating, and sharing products that they are proud of.
We talk about:
- Starting to make her own jewelry at 5 years old and how she got reunited with the art after highschool
- The creation process of the products & always going back to her culture
- Why authenticity is so important in a brand & in her products
- Two major highlights that happened due to the power of social media (hint it might have to do with Vanity Fair & Jordan Subban)
- Resources she would highly recommend for someone starting a business
- Why she believes in finding community instead of seeing it as competition
And much more!
Resources:
http://www.windsoressexsmallbusiness.com/
http://choosewindsoressex.com/
https://www.wetech-alliance.com/
Apatisiwin Program at the Can-Am Indian Friendship Centre
http://caifc.ca/program/apatisiwin-program/
Handmade maker can join the Rose City Etsy Team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1726421444316123
Online shopping:
www.cultureshockjewelry.com
www.ujimaa.com
Brick and Mortar Shopping:
https://www.facebook.com/urbanartmarket
https://www.facebook.com/nativewonders/
https://www.facebook.com/thelocalmaker
This week's episode is featuring Rachel Valenteros!
Rachel is a homemaker and founder of creative studio Toto + Tess, & vintage shop Waipahe Co. She is also the Chapter Leader for San Diego Business Babes! With degrees in Fashion Design and Business Marketing, with 12 years of experience in business including designing for Guess and being the Director of Client Services for a boutique CPA Firm in San Diego.
We talk about:
- Becoming a homemaker and starting multiple businesses
- How she got involved with San Diego Business Babes and becoming a chapter leader as an introvert
- Turning her blog into a full business and launching in 4 days
- Burnout and managing her time as a mompreneur
- The loneliness of entrepreneurship & finding community
- Learning to say no to projects that don't align with her
- The challenge of discussing business with family
- Key advice for someone thinking of starting a business
Links:
www.instagram.com/rachelifornia
rachelifornia.com
www.instagram.com/waipahe.co
www.instagram.com/totoandtess
www.instagram.com/sdbusinessbabes
This week's WE RISE segment is featuring Heather Chauvin!
Heather Chauvin is a leadership coach who helps ambitious, overwhelmed women conquer their fears and become leaders at work and home.
Drawing from her professional experience as a social worker and her life experience raising three boys, Heather created a signature approach to help her clients create and enjoy sustainability, profitability and ease in business and life.
She is the host of the Mom Is In Control Podcast where she reveals her most vulnerable truths about womanhood, marriage, parenting, living through stage 4 cancer and running a successful business without burning out. She is releasing her first book in 2021.
When Heather isn’t busy driving her boys to hockey practice, you can find her curled up on the couch next to her husband, planning their next family adventure.
We talk about:
- How she became a leadership coach & building her community
- Being a 'recovering hustler' & the effects of hustle culture
- Being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer & how it changed her outlook
- Her desire to write her book & how she went about it in her own way
- What 'Dying to be a good mother syndrome' means & how to overcome it
- Energetic time management & finding your balance
And much more!
Links:
Dying to be a Good Mother Book
Moms In Control Podcast
heatherchauvin.com
Sponsors
risewindsoressex.com
paglioneestatewinery.com
This week's WE RISE segment is featuring Kierstyn Pare!
Kierstyn Pare is a Social Media Manager and Brand Designer with a passion for making an impact on the lives of those around her. With every project she takes on, she aims to empower business owners to bring their brand story to life through intentional and authentic marketing tactics so that they feel good about showing up both in person and online. She has a well-rounded knowledge base in design, copywriting, social media management, email marketing, consulting and strategy.
Kierstyn's career in social media began almost three years ago now when she started working for a local home builder. Since then, she's been able to work with over 50 different businesses between Windsor Essex, Toronto, England and Australia in a variety of industries including restaurants, influencers, not-for-profits, home builders, start-ups, bakeries and more!
When she's not working on marketing for other businesses, she's running a community page called Only In YQG while also working on renovating her first home. All while definitely sippin’ on a cup o’ joe.
We talk about:
- Her journey into marketing & entrepreneurship
- Being a consumer in order to be a creator & staying up-to-date on trends
- Her recent rebrand with her business and honing in on key areas
- What made her decide to start her own Youtube channel
- How Covid-19 has affected the social media industry
- Social media advice for small business owners
- Finding inspiration for her social content & branding
- Starting OnlyinYQG & the impact it's has on the community
Links:
www.kierstynlauren.com
www.onlyinyqg.com
www.risewindsoressex.com
Sponsor:
paglioneestatewinery.com
This week's episode is featuring Stella Speigel, founder of Stellar Eats!
Stella is a Holistic Nutritionist (CNP), Recipe Developer and Writer behind the popular wellness blog Stellar Health and founder of Stellar Eats. Prior to entering the wellness world, she struggled with disordered eating for many years. Now, the driving force between all of her entrepreneurial endeavours is to help people cultivate a healthy relationship with food and their bodies. She wants people to understand that nourishing foods can be delicious and that wellness does not have to mean sacrifice or restriction. This mission-driven ambition is shared by her partners, Michelle and Emma and she is so grateful to have two strong women to work alongside on this Stellar Eats journey.
Stellar eats was born to create healthy eats that taste like treats! They think healthy eating should be easy, enjoyable, and empowering. Their mixes are formulated to maximize nutritional punch using minimal ingredients that your body will love. Most importantly, they taste decadently delicious. They want you to feel inspired in the kitchen and experience healthy eating that tastes stellar.
We talk about:
- Struggling with disordered eating and now helping people cultivate a healthy relationship with food
- Completely pivoting her business
- Where motivation comes from
- Having your self-worth tied to your business
- The educational experience of running a business
- Learning from mistakes
- Setting intentions over resolutions
- And more!
Last week was eating disorder awareness week and this continues to be a very important topic. The goal of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is to shine the spotlight on eating disorders by educating the public, spreading a message of hope, and putting lifesaving resources into the hands of those in need. For more information canada.ca/en/, nied.ca/
Links:
stellareats.com
Sponsors:
paglioneestatewinery.com
shekind.ca Discount Code: MADEIT20
This week's WE RISE episode is featuring Sydney Thompson & Layan Barakat of EPICentre!
Layan is a driven marketing professional with experience in public relations, social media marketing, event planning, and fundraising. As the EPICentre Marketing coordinator, Layan has the opportunity to immerse herself in the world of entrepreneurship and learn about all the amazing startups in the Windsor-Essex Community. Layan is also a blogger with a YouTube channel (Layan Bee) that's aimed at discussing issues of wellness, mental health, and more.
Sydney leads several programs and multifaceted projects as a Program Lead at EPICentre, UWindsor. Sydney is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and changemakers flourish and thrive through dedicated support, networking and unique learning opportunities. She has expanded and evolved programs and events that support female entrepreneurs, social enterprises and student ventures. Sydney is also passionate for community building and social betterment. She is an active Young Rotarian and Foundation Fund Director for the Rotary Club of Windsor (1918). Sydney is also a proud Windsorite and graduate from St. Clair College and the University of Windsor for Human Resources and Business Administration.
We talk about:
- Stigmas around entrepreneurship
- Starting a side business as a blogger & a YouTube channel
- Time management advice for entrepreneurs
- Common barriers faced when starting a business
- The importance of supporting local & small businesses
- Female entrepreneurs and finding confidence
- Resources & services available for entrepreneurs
Resources:
www.epicentreuwindsor.ca
www.youtube.com/itsmelayan
www.risewindsoressex.com
Sponsors:
paglioneestatewinery.com
This week's episode is featuring Marnie Consky, Founder and CEO of Thigh Society!
Marnie Consky is the Founder, CEO and Chief Anti-Chafing Champion of Thigh Society, a niche undergarment brand offering moisture-wicking, breathable, and discreet boxer brief underwear for women that prevent inner thigh chafing and provide modesty coverage.
Without any formal apparel, marketing, or e-Commerce experience, Marnie developed innovative anti-chafing slip shorts as a new product category. She built an online brand that has been self-funded and profitable since it launched in July of 2009. In 2020, the brand reached two major milestones - hitting 2MM in revenue, and being featured in Forbes! The brand is changing lives beyond simply reducing discomfort – Thigh Society promotes body positivity so that women everywhere can be free to wear whatever they want and love their thighs at any size.
We talk about:
- Destigmatizing thigh chafing & spreading the message to love your thighs at any size
- Pushing herself out of her comfort zone & quitting her job twice to take her business full-time
- Learning to run an apparel business & getting the product right beforehand
- Marketing her business and growing with influencer marketing
- How the industry had changed over the years and body positivity on social media
- Two big successful moments that really stand out from her business journey
- Key factors that make Thigh Society so successful
- Self-love tips & more!
Links:
www.thighsociety.com
www.instagram.com/thighsociety
Sponsors:
paglioneestatewinery.com
elevatepodcastco.com
This WE RISE episode is featuring Stephanie Santos, owner and founder of Synergy Wellness.
"I began my journey into the world of wellness and holistic modalities years ago, following a very low point in my life. I suffered with severe anxiety and depression and I had no idea why I felt this way or how to help myself. My journey almost came to an end but I truly believe that this did not transpire for a reason. I realized that I have more to achieve in this life, a reason to be here and I promised myself that I would never hit a low like that again. I began studying holistic treatments and products that could help me to achieve and maintain this promise to myself. Over the years I also struggled to find a career that felt right for me. When I began this journey of wellness for myself, I discovered a passion that I had for the amazing things I was uncovering! I realized that I had a strong desire to share this with the world, to dedicate my life to helping people maintain a happy and harmonious lifestyle through the wellness modalities that quite literally saved my life! With that, Synergy was born! Our name encompasses everything we stand for. Through various facets of natural wellness and holistic products and practices, we strive to assist you in attaining and maintaining a happy, high vibe life free of stress and many other ailments.
For years I hid my story from the world, afraid of being judged, but I realized that so many people feel the same way every day and that it's not something to be ashamed of but rather embrace the fact that I am a soul that feels everything so deeply and that my soul has a beautiful purpose."
We talk about:
- Sharing her story of suffering severe anxiety and depression
- Starting her business after finding natural treatments & products
- What she's learned about herself from starting her own business
- Opening her business in Kingsville
- Challenges she's overcome
& more!
Get 10% off your purchase using code madeithappen10 at www.synergywellnessonline.com
Links:
www.synergywellnessonline.com
Instagram: @synergywellnessonline
Sponsors:
https://paglioneestatewinery.com/
http://www.risewindsoressex.com/
This episode is featuring Lynzie Kent, founder of Love by Lynzie & Pop-Up Chapel Co.!
Lynzie is a multi-passionate, creative entrepreneur whose work spans weddings, events, content creation, art, design, music and more. Lynzie began Love by Lynzie Events & Design in 2011 and has since planned and designed hundreds of weddings and corporate events. She is the founder of two other successful businesses- Electric Blonde Entertainment and The Pop-Up Chapel Co. Her background of experience is eclectic- from travelling North America in a touring band to hosting two TV shows (Post My Party and Crazy Beautiful Weddings) to dropping out of University (twice)- which makes her an honest, gritty and hardworking business owner. She is most proud of the incredible team of women she works with and being an active leader in redefining and modernizing the wedding space. An avid traveller, lover of colourful vintage, Indian food and reading, she is a mom of two as well as wife to Andrew. She considers family to be her life’s most important work.
Love by Lynzie is a Toronto based planning and design agency that brings bold, original, artistic weddings, events, spaces and social content to life. Love By Lynzie also prides itself on being the originator of The Pop-Up Chapel Co.– a sustainable and charitable alternative to getting married at city hall where 10 couples marry in one day.
We talk about:
- The rollercoaster ride of entrepreneurship
- Starting her multiple businesses
- A key element to planning a successful event
- Dealing with comparison in business
- Future trends in the event space/weddings for 2021
- Manage her time with running multiple businesses
- Being hired on by their dream client
& more!
Links:
lovebylynzie.compopupchapel.caelectricblonde.com Instagram: @lovebylynzie
This episode is featuring Your Girl Karly! Karly Polkosnik is a Canadian lifestyle influencer and content creator. When she's not sharing wellness hacks, spreading light in the body confidence community, or crushing her business goals, you can find her every Tuesday and Thursday speaking on Hey Bitches Podcast. Hey Bitches Podcast is Canada's Top 5 Sexuality podcast that brings hilarious dating stories, hookup horrors, & raw emotions all together each and every week. You can also catch Karly dancing away on TikTok while sharing business, dating, and life stories to her audience of 280k+ and working to bridge the size-inclusivity gap in the fashion industry with her athleisure clothing line Confidence Club.
We talk about:
- Starting as an influencer at a young age
- When she knew it was time to take it full-time
- Building her community on social media
- How has the influencer industry has changed over the past 7 years
- Advice for finding/creating brand partnerships
- A key element to being successful in this industry
- Starting her own size-inclusive clothing company
- Dealing with comparison & confidence tips
Links:
www.yourgirlkarly.com
www.shopconfidenceclub.com
www.linktr.ee/heybitches
Sponsorship:
Three Ships Beauty Code MADEITHAPPEN20
Shop SheKind Code MADEIT20
Introducing the first episode of season 2, and first-ever solo episode! In today's episode, the founder and host of Made it Happen, Sarah Haefling, will be talking about starting this podcast, where the idea came from, and how it has evolved from starting in May of 2019. She talks about the fears of starting the podcast and starting her own business. This leads to the exciting announcement of starting her own business, Elevate Podcast Co.
Through the podcast and the amazing partnerships made, she has seen the power of podcasting and storytelling, and how it can benefit entrepreneurs & businesses. That is why Elevate Podcast Co is a podcast agency specializing in helping entrepreneurs & businesses have their voice heard and elevate their brand. They support launching & growing podcasts to connect with their audience, build authority, and amplify their business through the power of storytelling. Right now, in a world full of distancing, everyone just wants to feel connected, and there is no better way to do this than through a podcast. Hear about how this business came to be, resources used to get it started, and the journey that is to come!
Links:
www.elevatepodcastco.com/
This month's special edition episode in partnership with the Libro-EPIC Social Initiative is featuring COOK-UP Inc.
COOK-UP Inc. is a social enterprise that believes that boosting female entrepreneurs who want to build a thriving business by doing what they love will have a transformative impact, not just for the entrepreneurs, but for our entire community. Female food entrepreneurs still face disproportionately higher risks and barriers to market entry. This imbalance is further amplified for people of color, particularly women. As a result, talented entrepreneurs miss out on the opportunity to contribute their gifts to their community; and the larger community, all of us, lose a chance to experience a new and interesting dish, be inspired by an entrepreneurial journey, and enjoy the benefits of a vibrant and inclusive local food scene.
COOK-UP aims to shift this imbalance. By providing access to affordable commercial kitchen space, a network of support services that sustain growth, access to entrepreneurship coaching and professional services, and access to market opportunities, we are building a space committed to nourishing the growth of the talented entrepreneurs market so that the entire community is transformed for the better.
Trishauna Linton, Co-FounderThe daughter of an immigrant mother, Trishauna learnt early on that business ownership and economic independence, particularly for immigrant women of color, can be life changing. Born and raised in Maypen, Jamaica, she is passionate about fresh and locally grown food and, at any given moment, is ready to climb a tree in pursuit of a fresh mango. In 2017, she spearheaded a one-year project to propel entrepreneurship for refugee women which resulted in the creation of 4 new women-owned businesses in Windsor. The positive energy that Trishauna witnessed from that project, from the confidence and renewed hope among new business owners, overwhelming support from community and corporate partners, and ultimately, community members who said “we need more of this!”, brings her to present day. She brings her conviction for female entrepreneurship and community networking to the role of Co-Founder of Cook-Up Inc.
Delna Buhariwalla, Co-FounderHaving lived, worked, and eaten in Bombay, Oman, Minnesota, St. Maarten, Japan, Cameroon, and Canada, Delna comes to Cook-Up Inc. with a belief in the power of food to create deep connection and strengthen the human spirit. With an MA in Communications and Social Justice from the University of Windsor and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, Delna is most at home in grey areas that bring together profit and people. Her passion is exploring the history, the peoples, and the politics in a single dish and, most of all, celebrating the story, the voice, and the creativity of the cook. At Cook-Up Inc., Delna works towards creating an ecosystem that cultivates connections and nourishes human potential through a plate of food.
Links:
www.cookupinc.com
Instagram www.instagram.com/cookupinc
Facebook www.facebook.com/cookupinc
Social enterprises primarily focus on a social purpose; it is a new lens through which we can view traditional businesses making a positive impact in the world. EPICentre's Social Enterprise 101 Coaching service, sponsored by Libro Credit Union, is aimed to support local community members who are working to start a social enterprise. Through this initiative, you will receive coaching, resources, tools and networks to help you build a thriving social enterprise. Learn more at www.epicentreuwindsor.ca/social-enterprise-101-coaching
This week's WE RISE episode is featuring Markie Tuckett, founder of Timber + Plumb!
Markie was recently named one of the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s (NKBA) Top Thirty Under 30 as well as the DesignHounds Kitchen Design Influencer of the Year! As accomplished as she is thus far, Markie has always had a love for anything design related. From a young age, her passion for design developed into more than just a hobby and she started applying her personal design style to participate and even win awards. It was there, that she realized her true passion in design was working with interiors and she started her post-secondary education focusing on that.
Once starting her college education, Markie had another realization, she didn’t love all things interiors but cabinetry and kitchens were her forte. She then aimed to use her coop experience to learn more about kitchen design and cabinetry and from there was hired full-time right out of completing her education. She worked very closely with a well-known, published kitchen designer who took her under her wing to learn and grow as an individual for several years. From working in her small home-town of Midland, Ontario - Markie craved more, so she moved to the GTA and started designing and project managing for her own set of builders. Growing more and more as a leader, she was recruited to manage a team of designers and projects for a growing kitchen design firm and even designed two of their showrooms in the GTA. Entrepreneurship was always craved by Markie, so she moved to Windsor in 2018 and started her business and from there Timber + Plumb was born.
We talk about:
- Moving to a new location and starting a business
- Finding her clients
- The local business community
- Being named NKBA Top 30 under 30 and Designhounds kitchen design influencer of the year
- Who inspires her in the industry
- Creating an inclusive brand
- How she finds inspiration
- The hustle culture of entrepreneurship
- Advice for an aspiring designer
- Her new local business grant
- And more!
Resources:
www.timberplumb.com
Sponsored by:
www.paglioneestatewinery.com
This month's special edition episode in partnership with the Libro-EPIC Social Initiative is featuring GreenerBins & Grown Lady Garments!
More than ever before, we face several social and environmental challenges across the globe. These challenges are often complex, multilayered and have great impact on local and global communities and regions. Social entrepreneurship welcomes changemakers to be strategic and creative in tackling some of these challenges and are usually known for implementing widespread improvements in society. Every month on the 15th we will be highlighting a local social enterprise! This months episode is featuring Dane & Alley, founders of GreenerBins & Grown Lady Garments:
GreenerBins compost launched in June of 2018, Dane Fader (Owner and Founder) joined EPICentre's RBC EPIC Founders Program, an intensive 12-week accelerator to help budding startups gain the tools and resources needed to launch a successful business. He saw a need for composting services within the Windsor-Essex community that wasn't being met so he decided to take matters into his own hands. When first joining the program, he intended to attract approximately 30 clients by the end of the 12-week pilot project. Before he knew it, Dane had over 300 clients and counting and that number has since grown exponentially Starting out as a residential waste pickup company, GreenerBins has expanded into the business sector with clients ranging from The Greater Essex County District School Board, Devonshire Mall, and more. Dane is extremely passionate about his cause for creating a greener world, starting in the city he calls home.
Grown Lady Garments was founded by Alley Biniarz, who saw a need for a place to buy sustainable clothing in the Windsor area. Grown Lady Garments is an online hub where womxn can shop, create, & connect about sustainability, creativity, and feminism. It's a place with a little bit of writing, a dash of connection, and a sprinkle of beautiful, sustainable clothing.
We talk about:
- Where the idea came from for both social enterprises
- Environmental impacts of both food & clothing including fast fashion and food waste
- The impact they hope for the businesses to have on the community
- The resources and tools they used when starting their businesses
- Their experience in the Libro-EPIC Social Innovation Program
- How they both support each other with their businesses
- Advice for someone starting a social enterprise
- Creating a sustainable lifestyle
- And much more!
Resources:
www.grownladygarments.com
www.greenerbinscompost.com
Social enterprises primarily focus on a social purpose; it is a new lens through which we can view traditional businesses making a positive impact in the world. EPICentre's Social Enterprise 101 Coaching service, sponsored by Libro Credit Union, is aimed to support local community members who are working to start a social enterprise. Through this initiative, you will receive coaching, resources, tools and networks to help you build a thriving social enterprise. Learn more at www.epicentreuwindsor.ca/social-enterprise-101-coaching
This week's WE RISE episode is featuring Lora Colautti, a yoga teacher & studio owner, wellbeing mentor, coach and influencer. She opened Yoga with Lora 6 years ago and has recently evolved her wellbeing business by branding under her name and offering new wellbeing products and services online, including the Wellbeing Love Notes ebook and Workbook.
During life’s defining moments, from her younger sister’s passing to her own rectal cancer diagnoses and treatment, Lora has been able to maintain a connection to what feels right for her, including how she runs her business. She believes everyone has life experiences that stand out as defining moments. It’s these moments that make up who we are. The moments themselves don’t define us. We define ourselves by how we choose to move through them and who we decide to be because of them. Lora shares her years of wellbeing expertise with others so that they too can have the tools, knowledge and experience to feel emotionally empowered, have a positive perspective on life, and honour their inner voice.
Lora has been running her business solo until recently and is very aware of self-care as a woman and an entrepreneur, not just because it's the field she is in but because without it there's no way she would still be doing what she's doing. Having a supportive community of friends, family and even clients/customers/audience/etc is very important even if an entrepreneur is working solo. Lora is a big advocate of reaching out to or leaning on your support circle when you need it.
The new normal of pivoting due to COVID has also become a part of her entrepreneurial experience. For years she had been envisioning taking what she does to a more global scale. Both her Adventures with Marty (rectal cancer) and then the pandemic inspired her to take action. While the yoga studio was closed until phase 3, she spent her time creating her online presence and working on her first offering.
We talk about:
- How she got into the industry
- Realizing it was time to expand and grow her business
- Self-care as a woman and an entrepreneur
- Leaning on your support circle
- Running her business while going through cancer treatments
- Transferring her business online
- Having a shift in mindset with the pandemic
- And much more!
Resources:
www.loracolautti.com
Wellbeing with Lora Facebook Page
Sponsors:
www.paglioneestatewinery.com
www.shekind.ca 20% off using code MADEIT20www.threeshipsbeauty.com 20% using code MADEITHAPPEN20
This episode is featuring Courtney Todd, a Hotel and Restaurant Influencer.
Courtney is on a constant journey to explore unique experiences and share them with her followers to help promote and create enjoyable memories.
"You work hard. You save your money. You don’t have the opportunity to go out often. I am here for you to take the chance of trying out new opportunities, so you don’t have to waste your time or money on restaurants or hotels that aren’t worth it." Courtney Todd.
She wants you to enjoy your nights out, indulge in great food and hospitality with your loved ones, and enjoy life. Because life is too short to be mediocre.
We talk about:
- How she became an influencer
- What made her decide to focus on Hotels and Restaurants
- Insights into building her community on social media
- What to consider before working with a brand
- Advice for reaching out to brands you want to work with & for someone looking to get into influencing
- How COVID has affected influencer marketing especially in the restaurant and hotel industry
- Best practices for someone just starting out as an influencer
- Her favourite thing about being a hotel and restaurant influencer
- One restaurant everyone has to try & favourite travel destinations
- And more!
Website: www.bycourtneytodd.com
Sponsors:
www.paglioneestatewinery.com
www.shekind.ca 20% off using code MADEIT20www.threeshipsbeauty.com 20% using code MADEITHAPPEN20
This week's Special Edition episode brought to you by WEtech Alliance is featuring Myra Tawfik, Professor of Law and EPICentre Professor of IP Commercialization and Strategy.
Professor Tawfik is an expert in intellectual property law. Her research and teaching interests lie in the areas of copyright law, trademark law, international IP law, IP strategy and IP legal history.
We talk about:
- Her career and how she ended up in law
- What IP is and the different types of Intellectual Property
- What every startup/founder should know about IP
- Why IP is worth the investment and how it can impact your business longterm
- How to protect your brand and business
- How women are underrepresented in IP and ways at which this is continuing to change
- An inspirational story of a women and IP
- And more!
Resources:
wetech-alliance.com
Myra Tawfik
CIGI Report - Myra Tawfik
This week's episode is featuring Penny Light, founder of a Marketing Agency, Travel Company, Clothing Boutique Store, and much more! Penny Light, a native of Canada where she thrived for 19 years in various different roles for some Fortune 500 companies on major brands such as Coke, Danone, Kellogg and Pepsi/Frito Lay. Other than an appreciation for the things she learnt along the way she really doesn’t care much about any of that corporate stuff. She traded her suit, heels and condo in the concrete jungle for bare feet in the sand and falling asleep under a blanket of stars and the orchestra of the Costa Rican jungle. She hasn’t looked back.
Her mixed education in Business, Travel & Tourism, and Psychology has led her to wear many hats along the way from working with a wildlife film crew in the middle of the African bush to Vice President of marketing and sponsorship with the Women of Influence speaker series, to founding her own marketing and workplace well-being consulting company – Light it UP Marketing and a coaching, yoga, travel adventure company aptly named, Live Life Light. She hosts yoga/personal growth retreats — both private and group — all around the world and does elite 1 on 1 coaching/mentoring.
Penny, now a self-proclaimed Life Adventure Expert, has traveled most of the world, including living in a dome tent in the middle of the African bush for a year with no electricity, no running water, 5 hours from the closest village, nowhere near the top of the food chain with the only thing between herself and the dangers of the African outback, her own sensory system. Here, she spent the year feeling the heartbeat of the land, witnessing and syncing in with the natural rhythms of the planet and its most primitive occupants and, more specifically, documenting a pride of lions.
From sailing tall-ships up the coast of Brazil during carnival, trekking through the Himalayans to stand above Everest Base Camp at 5, 545 meters and breath in magic, walking the shores of Eleuthera, exploring the raw beauty of Cuba, dancing in the streets of Europe or wondering where the lions are, you can always be sure Penny will have a story or two to share, better yet she loves to hear the stories of others and as such loves to connect with characters, with other purists that have a unique zest for life.
Penny believes that life is one great big adventure, even more so when we say Yes and show up to it honestly and courageously.
Penny’s aspiration is to bring to others what travel has brought to her — a new way of seeing not just the world, but ourselves as we exist on this planet, to learn the always-inevitable lessons, connect with our roots and all the beautiful connections made in human kindness along the way.
We talk about:
-
How she has founded multiple businesses including a Marketing Agency, Travel Company, and Clothing Boutique Store
-
What made her decide to quit her corporate job and travel to Africa
-
How travelling to Africa led her to starting her own business
-
Valuing community over competition and how empowered women empower women
-
How has COVID 19 has affected her businesses
-
Creating a community of females and overcoming the loneliness of entrepreneurship
-
Finding that 'Ah-Ha' moment with a business
-
Advice she wishes she had heard when starting her business
Websites:
https://www.lightitupmarketing.com
https://www.livelifelightadventures.com
https://gritandgraceclothing.com
This week's WE RISE episode is featuring Sandra Paglione, owner of Paglione Estate Winery.
Passionate about hospitality and travel, Sandra has enjoyed an illustrious career in the industry for over 10 years, but despite having vineyards on a vision board in her early 20’s, she never would have dreamed she would be at the helm of a winery one day.
She began her career with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, armed with a diploma in International Business and a specialized Finance degree in Hospitality and Tourism. Her first role was in Worldwide Sales at their corporate headquarters in Toronto, before moving into Sales and Marketing at one of their South Asian resort properties in the Maldives. It was actually during this time that her Dad, a builder and developer in Windsor Essex County, bought a vineyard on 37 acres as a retirement project to fulfill a boyhood dream he had growing up in Italy to one day own a winery.
When she returned from Asia, she decided she wanted to take a different direction within the travel business, and landed her first role with American Express Travel & Lifestyle Services in Toronto where she managed strategic partnerships and marketing for their premium card products. During this time her Dad had broken ground and began building the winery. She leveraged her expertise to help with the business plan, while also focusing on growing her career with Amex, a company she loved.
The winery officially opened in July 2013 and while her parents were growing the business, she took on various roles with Amex, the majority being focused on travel and lifestyle benefits in the luxury space, while also helping with the winery on weekends during large events and festivals. It was 2018 when the opportunity to take over the winery came to be. Her Dad had passed away from cancer three years prior and her Stepmom was ready to retire, so the option was presented to Sandra, her sister Becki and their partners as to whether they wanted to take it on.
Sandra spent the next 8 months pulling together a new business plan, running numbers, and thinking about a growth strategy because she knew they would have to take the winery to the next level to make it work with the restructuring. In Feb 2019, Sandra and her partner Robin moved from Toronto, the four partners bought the business, and life hasn’t been the same since.
Sandra now works virtually for American Express on the Global Premium Products & Benefits team, and when she’s not working her 9 to 5 she oversees strategic planning, finance, and marketing for the winery.
In the last year, Paglione Estate Winery has become a well-known destination in the region, growing sales by 300%, and has just won its first three wine medals at the Great American International Wine Competition. Paglione Estate is also the official wine of Made it Happen Podcast!
We talk about:
- How the winery got started & where the idea came from
- Deciding to take over the winery when she had the opportunity
- Working a full-time job along with running the winery
- Creating a strong financial plan
- What has contributed to the massive growth of the winery in the last year
- How the pandemic has affected the business
- Challenges of taking over a winery
- Producing 3 award-winning wines
- And more!
Jessica Silverman is a Business Startup Coach to aspiring entrepreneurs seeking greater clarity + simplicity to live their true life’s purpose. Through her coaching, she guides her clients with mind-body empowerment tools to spark the transformation of a physical and spiritual awakening to live + feel her most ALIVE self.
At an even deeper level, the core foundation of her teachings unleash a deep understanding of one's energy, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
From the place of energy insight, she can awaken this wisdom towards healing, enlightenment, and a deeper awareness of one's divine purpose.
We talk about:
- How a podcast inspired her to quit her corporate job to start her own business
- Going from a wellness coach to a business startup coach
- How she grows her business using organic marketing strategies
- Learning that less is more
- Creating her online courses & masterclasses and what she has learned from them
- Advice for someone starting a business
- And more!
This week's WE RISE episode is featuring Linda & Gloria, owners of Magnolia Ranch! When Linda & Gloria began working together with the Neighbourhood Charitable Alliance (NCA) on the Spring Bling Gala, they realized how similar their work ethic was as well as their "eye for design". They have established a reputation that you can trust and are excited to use their skills to work together and make the vision for Magnolia Ranch come to life. This gorgeous, four bedroom, newly renovated house is much more than a Bed and Breakfast. It's a magnificent property with stunning views everywhere you look. In the heart of wine country and across the street from Lake Erie, there are endless possibilities of ways to enjoy your stay. Cycling, birding, fishing, golfing and wine touring are just stone throws away. They also offer catered events and their unique property is the perfect place to host your wedding. At Magnolia Ranch, the possibilities are endless.
Linda is a wife and mother of 3 beautiful children. She has worked in finance at Mucci Farms, her family operated business, for the past 23 years. Linda has also spearheaded the mitten and toques campaign with the NCA, and gives back any chance she can. Her flare and design approach are what is going to make any event at Magnolia Ranch truly unique!
Gloria is in a committed relationship and has 2 beautiful children. She has been a local business woman for 35 year, and sits on T2B's board of directors for the past 20 years, as well as the NCA for the past 5 years. Her experience in the "fundraising world" has helped her to raise over 1 million dollars for T2B and Erie Shores Hospice. Much like Linda, her design approach and attention to detail will help ensure your event to be truly unique!
We talk about:
- How Magnolia Ranch got started & where the idea come from
- Why they decided to go into business together
- Working full-time while running a business
- How they've created fun events to market their business
- How the pandemic has affected their business and how they've made the best of the situation
- One key element that makes a great experience for guests
- What they've learned about themselves while running a business
- Their favourite part of running Magnolia Ranch
- And more!
Website: https://www.magnoliaranch.ca/
New Special Edition Segment in partnership with the Libro-EPIC Social Impact Initiative!
More than ever before, we face several social and environmental challenges across the globe. These challenges are often complex, multilayered and have great impact on local and global communities and regions. Social entrepreneurship welcomes changemakers to be strategic and creative in tackling some of these challenges and are usually known for implementing widespread improvements in society. Every month on the 15th we will be highlighting a local social enterprise! This months episode is featuring Half Step Away:
Half Step Away is a full-inclusion music centre, that offers personalized music programs for people of all abilities. Their goal is to create a social impact through music and art, by providing opportunities to those who wish to embrace their creativity. Founded by Adrian Deschamps, Shane Trowbridge, and Jordan Bonneau, the Half Step Away team began their entrepreneurial journey in the EPICentre's Libro-EPIC Social Innovation Program. The team has proved its resilience by rising through the challenges they faced amid the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to work towards their goal of fueling artistic expression.
We talk about:
- What made them decide to start this social enterprise
- How the process & programs work at Half Step Away
- What resources and tools they used when creating their business
- Their experience in the Libro-EPIC Social Innovation Program
- How the pandemic affected their business and what pivots they had to make in order to cope with the current situation
- Big success moment that really stands out from their business journey
- What they've learned from running their own business
- What advice would they'd give to someone starting a social enterprise
- And more!
Social enterprises primarily focus on a social purpose; it is a new lens through which we can view traditional businesses making a positive impact in the world. EPICentre's Social Enterprise 101 Coaching service, sponsored by Libro Credit Union, is aimed to support local community members who are working to start a social enterprise. Through this initiative, you will receive coaching, resources, tools and networks to help you build a thriving social enterprise. Learn more at https://www.epicentreuwindsor.ca/social-enterprise-101-coaching/
This week's WE RISE Episode is featuring Shelby Pearce, founder of Lunar & Co.
Shelby grew up in a small town in South Western Ontario called Wallaceburg. Following high school, she moved to the big city of Toronto and began a career in the non-profit sector organizing leadership tours and speaking in front of thousands of youth Canada-wide. She also led international volunteer opportunities in Kenya, Ecuador and Mexico working with local communities and building much needed infrastructure. After going back to school at 24 and studying Advertising and Marketing, she brought her expertise to a communication and blockchain technology startup where her knowledge and hard work paid off. Starting as a Coordinator, team of 1, she quickly moved up the ranks to become the Marketing Director of a team of 10.
Due to COVID and some other extenuating circumstances, she found herself looking for a job for the first time in her career. Obviously not a great time to be looking, however, job posting after job posting, she just wasn’t finding anything she was interested in.
She's an experienced and creative leader bringing a growth mindset to her work - using content and marketing to help organizations grow in fast moving industries. She's also an eternal optimist, a proud feminist, and well, a bit of a control freak to be honest, but in the best way possible. She knows what she wants, and she goes for it. That's how she's decided to branch out on her own and start Lunar & Co. It's something she's dreamt about for a long time, and is proud to say, she's channeled all of her wisdom into action, and this is the result!
Over the years, she's had the privilege of working with and seeing so many women in business, and one common theme, no matter what industry or experience level, is the undying support we have for one another. Seeing this and being inspired, she knew Lunar & Co. needed to stand for something and be different from every other agency out there. She also knew that she wanted to work with people that she would admire, and there’s no one that she admires more than female bosses killing the game. We talk about:
- What made her decide to start Lunar & Co.
- Going back to school for marketing
- Breaking into the industry while working as a server
- Starting her business during a pandemic
- The biggest change from working in the industry to running a business
- Focusing on female-owned businesses with her agency
- The importance of having a strong brand and how to build this
- The biggest obstacle for businesses when creating a brand
- Being nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year in her Hometown
- and much more!
Alyssa is a Productivity Strategist for creative entrepreneurs and founder of Your Most Profitable Quarter Yet. A recovering procrastinator herself, she became obsessed with figuring out how the Oprah’s, the Beyoncé’s, and the Marie Forleo’s of the world were running empires, staying creative AF, and making it all look easy. As soon as she figured this out, her business did a complete 180. She mastered the exact process to take entrepreneurs from over-worked and under-slept to productive, profitable and FREE, and, from that, the Freedom Rebellion was born.
Alyssa Coleman is the productivity guru to the baddest on the internet, founder of Your Most Profitable Quarter Yet and, the Free Spirited Babes Community. She’s the “left-brain”, behind the scenes, silent productivity partner helping creative entrepreneurs, bloggers, influencers, and coaches to work fewer hours in their business while getting more done and making a bigger impact.
We talk about:
- How she became a productivity strategist
- How she learned everything on productivity
- Burnout as an entrepreneur & how to overcome this
- Creating her services and programs
- The biggest obstacle she sees with entrepreneurs in terms of productivity
- Tips & advice for becoming a productive entrepreneur
- Creating collaborations and the value behind them
- Tips for those looking to collaborate with other entrepreneurs or businesses
- One key productivity tip anyone can use
- Marketing her business and finding clients
- What she would've told herself when starting her business
- And much more!
This special edition WE RISE episode is focusing on the importance of mentors and advisors to founders and the power within the network, brought to you by WEtech Alliance and Haltech Regional Innovation Centre. This episode is featuring Yvonne Pilon, President & CEO, WEtech Alliance, Kate Tomen, Women’s Entrepreneurship Coordinator, WEtech Alliance, Shann McGrail, Executive Director, Haltech Regional Innovation Centre, & Julie Ellis, Coach to Executives and Entrepreneurs and Co-Founder Mabel’s Labels.
WEtech and Haltech are both Regional Innovation Centres in the province of Ontario. They have recently partnered on a new program, Power Panels, aimed to expand mentorship and strategic connection opportunities for women-owned technology and innovation companies in Southwestern Ontario. Julie Ellis works closely with Haltech and is an active coach to entrepreneurs. She is also the co-founder of Mabel's Labels, the leading provider of labels for the stuff kids lose!
We talk about:
- The importance of mentors and advisors to startup founders
- The power within a network
- Key pain points female founders are dealing with
- Both sides of being a founder & an advisor
- Key advice for finding the right advisor for business growth
- Networking tips
- The new Power Panel & F5 Program for female entrepreneurs& how to get involved with the program
- And much more!
Andrea Moxham is the Founder of Horseshoe + co., a platinum HubSpot Solutions Partner. Andrea revels in the details of inbound marketing and thrives on helping her clients squeeze every ounce out of their HubSpot investment. In her spare time, Andrea can be found cuddling her baby girl Sadie, watching true crime documentaries or trying to convince her husband to get goats for the hobby farm where they live.
Andrea founded Horseshoe + co. in 2014 focusing on graphic design and evolved into focusing solely on HubSpot when she made the jump to full-time in 2016. She has since largely built the company on her own, becoming one of the few Canadian HubSpot partners that isn’t a large agency. Andrea has over 10 years of experience in the marketing industry and a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) from Ryerson University.
We talk about:
- How did Horseshoe + co business got started
- A unique way of finding clients and marketing her business
- What she had advised clients on and then implemented herself
- Two things she learned the hard way
- Common misconceptions about entrepreneurship
- How COVID affected her business and work-life balance
- Embracing the mindset with clients and processes
- Finding structure in her work
- What she wish she had known beforehand about managing expectations
- Working on the backend of the business to thrive
- And more!
This week's WE RISE episode is featuring photographer, Vicki Bartel. As a self-taught photographer, wife and mother of two, her journey began over a decade ago when her son was born, after purchasing her first camera. From there, her career bloomed into photographing some of the most beautiful and luxurious weddings in Southwestern Ontario.
It was during this time, she began noticing how many women-owned businesses were emerging around her, and she wanted nothing more but to support their entrepreneurial journeys with brand photography. For the last three years, she has been focusing her efforts on capturing women in every aspect of their lives. From maternity and boudoir to lifestyle branding, she set out to celebrate the professional and most intimate qualities of women through her lens.
Sarah is joined by co-host Nicole Anderson of RISE WindsorEssex, as they speak to Vicki about her journey as a photographer including:
- How she got into photography
- How it's never too early to start your personal brand
- Taking it step by step when starting a business
- Making genuine connections & word of mouth marketing
- The number one piece of advice for a new photographer
- Creating your own opportunities
- Specializing in branding photos for female entrepreneurs
- Educational resources to use
- Creating her small business pay it forward initiative
- Work-life balance
- And so much more!
Picture a musician. Now, picture a businessman or businesswoman. The two images are probably polar opposites. But, for Lauralee Sheehan, former Lovely Killbots rockstar / indie record label owner turned founder and CCO of her own digital agency, the latter could never have happened without the former. Lauralee is living proof that music, tech, entrepreneurship, and being an artist are all completely intertwined.
Lauralee is a design thinker, a digital addict, but above all an artist. With years of experience working in the creative and digital product development sector, Lauralee is a trailblazer in the digital space, pushing forward how creative and tech intersect. She has lead dynamic creative and dev teams on various award-winning digital, interactive and research based projects. Her unique background, having her own product line (with a product design shoutout on Buzzfeed) and as a former owner of an indie record label, Lauralee brings a fresh, authentic and innovative approach to the design and learning space.
We talk about transitioning from music to entrepreneurship, how musicians are natural entrepreneurs and the connection between the two, knowing it was time to take her side-hustle full time, having an impact by sharing important stories & causes, challenges she's had to overcome with her business, the importance of self-care & balance, having hard conversations with clients, what she's learned from scaling quickly & more!
This week's WE RISE episode is featuring Linsey Pecile, founder of Urban Artistry! Her pursuit for passion had been a long time coming until she founded Urban Artistry. Their mission at Urban Artistry is to help people create the events of their dreams without the financial burden that typically comes along with that. Of course in the process of that, she also gets to follow her dream which encompasses everything she loves; design, art, construction and nature. She's done many things so far in not too much time some would say. She went to school for architecture, proceeded to work in an engineering firm in the USA, developed a post-diploma degree in 3-D architecture at Fanshawe college, Taught at Fanshawe college and is still in their architectural BIM program, taught at St Clair college and was the manager of research and development.
She can now say she is comfortable enough at this time in her life to know what she enjoys and what she does not enjoy about a career. So when she thought about launching urban artistry it was very clear to her what its intent should be. She has always loved design and seeing how things are built, come together and showing a beautiful final piece. This speaks not only to architecture but design as a whole. She is a self-taught woodworker with help from her husband and it is absolutely a passion of hers that she's recently been able to spend more time on due to Covid. Urban artistry was created in the midst of the pandemic. Not because that’s when it was first thought of but simply because that’s when she first had the time to actually sit down and think about her future.
We talk about what made her decide to start Urban Artistry, where she learned the art of creating event rental pieces, what it was like launching an event rental business during a pandemic, where she finds inspiration for her products, how she manages her time while running her own business and working full-time, what she's learned about herself in the process, what advice she would give to someone else starting a business, challenges she's overcome in creating her business, future plans & more!
Lauren Cook, PsyD has a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and Master’s of Marriage and Family Therapy. She is a clinician working with individuals, couples, children, and families. She practices Emotionally Focused Therapy to help clients improve their communication while enhancing emotional closeness. She speaks around the country providing audiences with education about mental health and wellbeing. She is the author of Name Your Story: How to Talk Openly About Mental Health and The Sunny Side Up: Celebrating Happiness.
We talk about why she decided to go into the mental health industry, the highs and lows of being a therapist, what made her decide to start her own business/practice, publishing two books and the process of writing them, what people can do to deal with stress during these times, how she got into public speaking, getting comfortable being uncomfortable, imposer syndrome & how to overcome it, the process of rebranding her business & why she decided to do this, what she learned about happiness from her studies and how this changed her outlook, what she would've told herself when she was just starting out, how to get involved with mental health & ending the stigma, and so much more!
Website link: www.thesunnygirl.com.
Instagram: TheSunnyGirl5
This week's WE RISE episode is featuring Melinda Rauch, founder and curator of NOMAD - a furniture, home decor and design boutique in Kingsville ON, with a global perspective where profits have purpose via social impact endeavors and community engagement. Prior to opening NOMAD, Melinda has previously been a Partner and Founder of HDI Capital based in Mexico City holding the position of Chief Operations Officer and Chief Compliance Officer, published in London based publication Global Custodian " The Hedge Fund Giving Back," and had previous roles with leading global financial institutions and consulting firms as VP of Accounting. She has advised US-based hedge funds on regulatory and compliance controls and best practices in operations, & has 20 years of experience in alternative investment.
Melinda has traveled to over 35 countries and lived in 7 different countries for work. She is a doggy mama to Murphy, proud farmers daughter, and lover of all things to do with traveling, culture, food.
We talk about what made her decide to start NOMAD and where the idea came from, how social impact plays a role in her store and is one of the guiding values of her shop, where the name come from & the meaning behind it, what attracted her to build her business in Kingsville, where she gets her products from and how she decides what to bring in, how COVID 19 has affected her business, how she markets her business, some of the challenges she's had to overcome & the big success moments, advice she would give to someone thinking of starting a business, future plans & more!
Anthea is the founder of Clear Margins Consulting, a CPA and numbers nerd. She's obsessed with accounting & numbers. She believes in their power to tell truths and inform the future. With a background in accounting, performance analysis, and financial & strategic analysis she helps business owners go from avoiding the financial side of their business to confident money experts.
We talk about what made her leave her corporate job to do something different and start a non-traditional accounting firm, how one client inspired her to start consulting, her strategy for finding clients, one piece of advice she’d give to new business owners from a financial standpoint, a common financial mistake she sees with new businesses and what she’d recommend, what you should do before you even start your business, what she has learned from starting her own business, what inspired her to start a group program, how to find your support system & more!
Allison Mistakidis is a creative and passionate entrepreneur dedicated to building a community of like-minded changemakers. As co-owner of Whiskeyjack Boutique, she has taken an empty storefront in downtown Windsor and turned it into a Canadian-made gift and souvenir shop that has become a destination for tourists and locals alike. Since 2010, Allison has been creating and selling Aloraflora Jewelry at local shows and boutiques as well as online, while building a recognizable and sought after brand for Windsorites. A tropical ecology field course in University piqued an interest in birds and research, she completed a Masters degree which focused on why birds are so colourful, and this appreciation for birds led to the meaningful name behind Whiskeyjack Boutique. Allison has held a number of roles, including University instructor, fitness instructor, group fitness manager, and most recently as a merchant success representative at Shopify. In every position, she soaked up everything she could to guide her own ventures to success. When she's not managing Whiskeyjack Boutique or making jewelry, she's working on publishing her novel and cheering on fellow bosses in the small business community.
We talk about how Whiskeyjack Boutique got started, where the name of the store came from, what made them decide to build their business in Windsor, how she and her co-founder decided to go into business together, what people should keep in mind when looking for a business partner, how COVID-19 has affected their business, how they market Whiskeyjack Boutique, some of the challenges they've overcome with their business, publishing her own novel, advice for someone thinking of starting a business and more!
5HUNDREDS was created by Erika Hanchar & Elizabeth Johnston. Two creatives, who independently ran creative businesses and careers frequently crossed throughout the last 15 years. They have collaborated on numerous creative projects from full-scale events to business consulting, media production, and business writing.
They saw a need for a professional marketplace that combined consulting services with swift turnaround times, accurate results, and affordable rates. The result was a fresh new marketing perspective experience that makes it easy for business owners to take advantage of a variety of creative marketing services again and again for a low guaranteed price. 5HUNDREDS was created for the busy professional to launch, complete or strategize specific projects.
Erika and Elizabeth have been friends and business associates for 15 years and have worked with companies across Canada, USA and the Caribbean. Their creative work in media, events and design has been published around the globe in magazines, newspapers, online publications and international advertising campaigns. Their client list boasts some of the top companies in North America and numerous small to medium business start-ups.
We talk about the creation of 5HUNDREDS and their unique offerings, what made them decide to start their own business and having that entrepreneurial spirit, how they both got into this industry, what made them decide to go into business together, a challenge they are currently facing and how they have found a new way to do business to cope with it, how they use social media to find their clients, launching their business during a pandemic, what they would have told themselves when starting their business, and much more!
This weeks WE RISE Thursdays episode is featuring Brandi Bechard, Founder & Owner of Ground Culture, and Wen Teoh, Director of EPICentre. We talk about the services that EPICentre offers including their VentureWomen Program & businesses that have come from the program, where the idea for Ground Culture came from, programs and services that helped it get started, the most common thing holding women back from starting their own business, pivoting with COVID-19, a key piece of advice for someone starting a business, challenges entrepreneurs face, future plans for Ground Culture, and much more!
Wen is the Director of EPICentre (the Entrepreneurship, Practice and Innovation Centre) at the University of Windsor. Wen joined EPICentre in 2014 as a founding member and the Venture Start Director. She has twenty years of experience in IT, project management and entrepreneurship. She co-founded an international gas distribution company in Malaysia and a high-pressure cylinder distribution company in the US before moving to Windsor. Wen has a B.B.A. from University of Toledo and an MBA from University of Windsor. Wen teaches Entrepreneurial Resource Management sessionally at Odette School of Business. Wen is also a board member at the WindsorEssex Community Foundation.
Brandi Bechard is the founder of Ground Culture, an ecological landscaping company based in Windsor and Essex County. They create outdoor spaces with both people and the planet in mind by designing and building gardens that serve a purpose, such as vegetable gardens, fruit trees and hedges, rain water management systems, pollinator and wildlife habitat, and native biodiversity gardens.
This weeks episode is featuring Lindsay Nahmiache, founder of Jive PR + Digital. Recognized as one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the Financial Post, an Enterprising Women of the Year, Top 40 Under 40, PROFIT: Top Female Entrepreneurs, and ambassador to UN for Women's Entrepreneurship, Lindsay helps companies create financial and social impact in the brand and entertainment industries.
Located in Los Angeles, Lindsay divides her time between Vancouver and LA as she operates Jive PR + Digital, which just celebrated its 11th year. Jive is a full-service Public Relations, Digital, and Social Media agency that services over 20 clients in industries that range from Entertainment, Food and Beverage, Tech, Lifestyle and Non-Profit, all with Lindsay at the helm of the company of 10 employees and counting.
We talk about how her unique background gave her a different perspective on the world, lessons she learned about paying attention to the numbers in business, how she got into the industry, what you need to know when going into business with someone, having the strength of being able to accept your weaknesses, why constraints fuel creativity, what she looks for when hiring for her team, what she is most proud of from her journey, why thinking small is actually harder than thinking big, challenges she's overcome while running a company, what she would've told herself when starting a business, and much more!
This weeks WE RISE episode is featuring Myrtle Donnipad, the Youth & Entrepreneurship Advisor at WindsorEssex Small Business Centre, and Surria Fadel, Partner & Product Developer at Cedar Valley Selections. We talk about the services available for local businesses in the WindsorEssex area, the creation of Cedar Valley Selections & starting at farmers markets to now being sold in nation-wide retailers, what has been the key to success for this business, obstacles small businesses are currency facing with COVID-19 and how to pivot, success stories from local organizations, advice for someone who wants to start a business, the main goal of the Small Business Centre, the best piece of advice given while running a business & much more!
Myrtle is an experienced business consultant currently serving as the Youth and Entrepreneurship Advisor at WindsorEssex Small Business Centre, a department of the WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation. A strong community advocate for Windsor-Essex, she is passionate about helping young business owners and entrepreneurs successfully launch and grow their ventures. Previously, as a new immigrant herself, Myrtle worked as an employment counselor to newcomers at the New Canadians’ Centre of Excellence Inc. Myrtle moved to Windsor in 2007 where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Windsor.
Surria Fadel is a Partner and Product Developer at Cedar Valley Selections which was founded by her son, Ameen Fadel, at the age of 16 in Lakeshore, Ontario. Cedar Valley Selections began with the creation of Canada’s FIRST bottled Fattoush Salad Dressing. With a small grant from Ameen’s school board and Surria’s signature recipe, they had all they needed to begin their venture. Following over a year of product development, testing, and sampling with Ameen's high school teachers, Cedar Valley Selections’ Signature Fattoush Dressing was ready. After just selling to family and friends, Ameen approached his first local deli in Belle River, ON, and had finally brought Canada it's very first bottled Fattoush Dressing.
Ellen Hyslop is a co-founder and head of content at The GIST. Ellen has developed the signature voice and tone of The GIST that has resonated with 100,000+ female fans (and growing!) across North America. She leads The GIST’s content strategy including written content, social media, co-hosting The GIST of It podcast and managing a team of content contributors. As a lifelong avid sports fan, Ellen is not only passionate about her fave teams, but also about leveling the playing field in the sports industry.
Ellen and her team have been named to Forbes 30 Under 30 2020 and have been accelerated through programs with Facebook, MLSE, Comcast NBCUniversal and Techstars. Prior to going full-time with The GIST, Ellen worked as an underwriter at Chubb Insurance and graduated with a Commerce degree from Queen’s University (where she met her two co-founders!).
We talk about the creation of The GIST and where the idea came from, taking the business from a side hustle to full time, levelling the playing field for women in sports & important statistics on women in sports, building a company 'By Women for Everyone,' creating strategic partnerships and other marketing initiatives, advice for young females in sports, working at creating an inclusive industry, being named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 and other highlights from her journey, who she looks up to in the industry, advice for starting a business, and so much more!
This week's WE Rise episode is featuring Yvonne Pilon, President & CEO of WEtech Alliance & Mara Beaux, Founder of Beaux App! You won't want to miss this episode where we talk about all things women in tech! We talk about what WEtech alliance is and the services they offer, the creation of Beaux Beauty App, pivoting businesses due to the pandemic, how COVID is affecting business owners, entrepreneurs, and women, how the tech industry has changed over the last 10 years, inspirations for women in tech, advice for those thinking of starting a business, building a business during a pandemic, misconceptions about women in tech, services available for female entrepreneurs and women in tech, and SO much more!
Yvonne Pilon is the President and CEO of WEtech Alliance. At the age of 24, she founded her first tech venture, AD2IT, and by the age of 29, became the youngest woman to lead a Regional Innovation Centre. Yvonne has over 10 years of experience in the tech sector with a core focus on growing companies and building a thriving entrepreneurial community. She is also the host of the #TechInTheCity podcast.
Mara Beaux is the Founder of Beaux App. Her decade young professional journey centres around serving others. She has always been entrepreneurial, starting and successfully running two wedding businesses, and currently building up a third - a mobile platform for the beauty and barbershop industry. Beaux is an ecosystem of beautiful people who uphold safety and celebrate beauty – physical, mental, and entrepreneurial.
This week's WE RISE episode is featuring Kavaughn Boismier, President & Founder of The Women of Windsor Mentorship Collaborative, and Tashlyn Teskey, Manager of Projects and Research with Workforce WindsorEssex.
Kavaughn Boismier is a senior leadership professional for the financial industry with over six years in Wealth Management as a Private Wealth Consultant & Wealth Advisor; Kavaughn is honoured to be one of only 16% females and 1% visible minority in the Professional Advisory space in Canada. Her primary focus and mission are to enrich the lives of individuals and entities in her community through mentorship, advocacy, and advice. Kavaughns's vision is to build a comprehensive hub of education, support, and service in Windsor-Essex County for clients who value the ability to manage their financial security and career security - is coming to life through the WoW Mentorship Collaborative.
Tashlyn Teskey is the Manager of Projects and Research with Workforce WindsorEssex. She began her career there four years ago as a Research Intern while completing her Masters degree in Political Science at the University of Windsor. After completing an 8-month internship in Nepal during her undergraduate studies, she recognized her passion for working in grassroots organizations but a little closer to home. Much of her research work has focused on employment in the skilled trades, career pathways for graduating high school students, and increasing the presence of females in the local workplace. She also considers herself an expert in all things Gilmore Girls and celebrity pop culture.
We talk about the report created for RISE Windsor-Essex highlighting key findings on women entrepreneurs and why this was important to research, what we can take away from the report and implement in our community, what the most shocking thing Tashlyn discovered through this report was, challenges women face in STEM & entrepreneurship in Windsor-Essex, best practices in other communities that support women in these fields, the creation of the Women of Windsor Mentorship Collaborative, why it was started and the need in the community, who is part of this organization and the types of mentors available, how to become involved with this mentorship collaboration, successes that have come from this initiative, and so much more!
Pearl Cicci is a Nutritionist, Health Coach, and personal trainer with a passion for educating people about nutrition. Her goal is to make it easy and simple to achieve optimal health. Taking a very holistic approach, Pearl is focused on the overall well being of a person. Using plant-based approaches Pearl works with women entrepreneurs to increase their energy levels and optimize their health. She believes that, with proper information and guidance, everyone can become the healthiest version of themselves at any age.
We talk about how she got into the health and fitness industry, what attracted her to the entrepreneurial lifestyle, how she knew she wanted to start her own business, why she wanted to focus on female entrepreneurs, the importance of word-of-mouth marketing, how she finds her clients, one key piece of health advice that anyone can follow, the learning & growing curve as an entrepreneur, overcoming self-doubt, having a positive mindset, the ups and downs of owning your own business, 2 key pieces of advice she would tell someone starting their own business, who she looks up to in the business industry, common misconceptions in the health and wellness industry, and so much more!
WE RISE: Through Build a Dream – the non-profit that she founded in 2014 — Nour utilizes her 13 years of experience as a workforce advisor, mentor, and influencer to inspire youth to make informed career choices that challenge the status quo. Her experiences are not just limited to the workplace… Nour watched her mother struggle and persevere as she started and grew a successful auto parts company in a male-dominated field.
Through real-world examples of how embracing diverse workplaces leads to success, Nour connects with her audience and engages in discussions like:
- Recruiting (and retaining) top talent
- Challenging gender bias in policies
- Inclusive workplaces: the heart of innovation
- The benefits of building each other up
- Asking bold questions that lead to action
Nour has traveled across Canada speaking about workforce development and recruiting women for male-dominated industries. She also led a national research project with AIA Canada to develop a national strategy to help the industry attract, recruit, retain, and advance women in the automotive industry. Nour has worked on programs for youth, newcomers, women on social assistance, internationally trained doctors, and has talked with hundreds of representatives from all levels of industry, education, and government.
From her role at the University of Windsor to motherhood to running a growing foundation, Nour wants to tell real stories about workplaces and share what leaders are getting right.
We talk about expanding Build a Dream from a local organization to a national one, what inspired her to start Build a Dream, diversity in the workforce, having a work-life balance in the skills trade, advice for someone undecided about their future, talking about financial goals and independence as a female, finding her new sense of confidence, leading an organization through COVID, how you can get involved with Build a Dream, and much more!
Alisha Kumar is a social media and digital marketing expert living in the PNW. She has 11+ years of marketing & PR experience and is the founder of a digital marketing agency called The Social Project. Now working with some of the globe’s most innovative and forward thinking brands, Alisha helps businesses create and implement marketing strategies through social media platforms to increase both organic & paid growth, convert followers into paying customers, and by making sure their social media is on point with their brand. She is also a community architect in Seattle, WA and helps women make an impact through their entrepreneurial ventures by hosting monthly educational workshops & events for a business she co-founded called Seattle Business Babes, part of a larger community Business Babes Collective. When she’s not busy working, you can find her traveling!
We talk about how she got into the social media and marketing industry, how she got involved with the Business Babes Collective & starting her own chapter, hiring on for The Social Project & what you need to think about when bringing someone onto your team, building a community for entrepreneurs, finding clients and marketing her business, how COVID 19 had affected both of her businesses, the power of Pinterest for your business, advice for someone starting a business, challenges she's overcome, exciting projects coming up for both The Social Project and Business Babes Collective and so much more!
WE RISE Thursday: Ola Ahmed is the founder of Kindness Café, a social enterprise in Windsor, Ontario. Ola is an international student with a graduate degree in medical biotechnology and cancer research. While growing up in Egypt, her mother cooked a lot of food for friends and family. They prepared a lot of food, ate a lot of food, but they also threw out a lot of food. They threw food out to make sure that the next meal was fresh. However, on the very same night, as Ola walked the streets of Cairo, people were eating out of the garbage. Even as a child, this didn’t sit well with her. She thought, isn’t there a better way to give people this food?.
Soon Ola’s academic journey brought her to Canada for graduate school. She was fortunate enough to get hired by a franchised coffee shop as a BARISTA during her studies. On her first night shift, her supervisor dumped a lot of food. The garbage was overflowing with display food, food from the fridge and food that was still wrapped and packaged! She realized right away that this is a problem everywhere. At this moment, Ola committed to doing something about it. She started the Kindness Café, which empowers her community through nutrition and compassion by harvesting surplus and unsold food.
Ola, owner, and founder of this food rescue program started this company because she didn’t believe that people should go hungry when perfectly good food is sent to the landfill every day.
Kindness Cafe
Kindness Cafe is a pop-up driven social enterprise business that rescues surpluses and unsold food from restaurants, cafes, farms, and groceries in Windsor and serve them back to the community with care and love using a Pay as You Feel (PAYF) concept.
New paying system in Windsor
What makes this program unique is that there is no price for the food that you take - instead, users are asked to “pay what you feel.” This pay it forward system allows those who have extra money to spare to “pay” for those who don’t.
A Pay As You Feel concept means that people will pay what they can afford to help the community and the environment. However, for the less fortunate we would be more than happy to put a smile on their face and fill their tummies and hearts with food and Kindness.
This pay as you feel the concept is actually a sophisticated way to ask for a donation, customers are not actually paying for the food, food is basically for free, but the customers are paying to support this movement and would love to do good for the community and our environment.
This movement promotes inclusivity and is founded on trust. Unlike other food assistance programs, everyone is welcome, no proof of ID or proof income is required. we hope that we can create a community where food donation is normalized.
Kindness café will make sure that it will minimize food waste by rescuing food and changing them into delicious and healthy food. It’s a cycle that we want to create and we want the community to help us do that. Starting from saving the food, using the food, then finally composting the unusable food and never take anything for granted.
We talk about coming up with the idea to solve the food waste problem, creating a social enterprise, why she decided to make it a "pay as you feel" business model, what resources and tools she used while creating her business, how she markets Kindness Cafe in the Community, challenges she's overcome with her business, what she has learned from running her own business, and so much more! You won't want to miss out on hearing all about the creation of this incredible organization!
This week's episode is featuring Lauren Smith, event planner and founder of Modern Collective & Toronto Business Babes! Lauren is a passionate event planner, connection creating expert, and lover of all thing’s events + travel. Lauren helps busy entrepreneurs create in person connection with their online community so they can strengthen their relationships, provide incredible value and turn their community into raving fans.
After starting her career in corporate and absolutely falling in love with the events + travel industry, Lauren decided to follow her entrepreneurial heart and started Modern Collective. Modern Collective was created as a creative event planning agency specializing in curating truly unique, outside of the box and memorable events.
With over 10 years of event planning experience working with Canada’s largest financial institutions, Lauren brings countless unique and innovative ideas, and an impressive tool-box of skills to the table for her clients, spanning from an unmatched ability to pivot on the spot, to killer negotiation skills and the creative ability to think outside the box while easily landing her (and her clients!) dream event partners and sponsorships.
We talk about what inspired her to leave the festival life and get the job of her dreams, staring the Toronto Business Babes Chapter, what made her decide to start her own business, why she surrounds herself with people like her & what qualities she looks for, advice for someone starting a business, what makes a successful event, how COVID 19 has affected her business, what attracted her to the event planning business, and so much more!
Born and raised in Amherstburg, Ontario, Taylor's first introduction to social media was working for a few local radio stations. However, a career in marketing didn't really appeal to her, and instead, she spent three years studying accounting, believing it was best to pursue a career that would "make a lot of money." Realizing there was more to life, she followed her heart. She began pursuing opportunities in marketing that led her to land a job in Canada that allowed her to travel and teach about the power of social media in the US and Europe.
Pairing her passion for helping others and her social media knowledge, she built a business. A year and a half later, she has worked with businesses in Canada, the US and Europe, in over 25 different industries. Her goal is to amplify the voices of those who are trying to make a difference in their communities and across the planet.
We talk about her transition from accounting to marketing, why she decided to create her own business, travelling the world teaching social media, representing brands authentically, valuing your services, overcoming imposter syndrome, and much more!
This week's episode is featuring Danielle Weibe, founder of Business Babes Collective & Vancity Business Babes! Danielle is an entrepreneur and business strategist. She coaches women to build successful businesses and connects them through events, workshops & masterminds and coaches them to create a community, facilitate collaborations, and create partnerships that elevate their brands. Danielle’s background in business started at age 20 when she launched her first business & then went on to help her Mom build a global consulting company. In 2015 she Launched the first chapter of Business Babes Collective, Vancity Business Babes.
We talk about Danielle's journey as an entrepreneur and the creation of the Business Babes Collective, the first business she launched while in school, how the organization has evolved over the years, pivoting events to online during COVID-19, taking risks and growing pains, learning to become a leader, being comfortable with being uncomfortable, her favourite part of running business babes collective, the benefits of having a community as an entrepreneur and so much more!
Once an Executive Assistant with a side hustle, companies turn to Hollie when they need business strategy, human centric social media, and creative marketing solutions. Over the past six years, Hollie has built Creative Solutions to a six-figure marketing agency by bridging the gap between strategy and fulfillment in the world of marketing. She leads a bright, amazing team of creatives and delivers rock-solid strategies uniquely tailored to each client’s goals. She is a dad-joke-loving, 90's hip-hop-listening, self-proclaimed hustler with a huge heart and a work ethic to match.
We talk about how she got into marketing before she even realized, the power of relationships & strategic partnerships, what got her business to where it is today, hiring for personality instead of technical skills & one question she asks in every interview, the truth behind entrepreneurship, setting boundaries for your company, challenges she’s overcome as a female entrepreneur, hitting 6 figures with her business, what she wishes she knew when starting her business, and much more!
I have officially teamed up with RISE Windsor-Essex to bring to you stories of Windsor-Essex’s very own female entrepreneurs! Every Thursday, tune-in as I feature a new women in business in our area!
Today I welcomed Susan Anzolin, Sabrina DeMarco and Nicole Anderson from the Windsor Essex Economic Development Corporation to talk about how they are supporting women through the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy. Learn about how RISE Windsor-Essex was developed and listen to the tremendous resources that our region has to offer to support female entrepreneurs.
RISE Windsor-Essex is a network of organizations that are empowering women in entrepreneurship and women in STEM. Hear about how the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy started at WEEDC, what the tie is to the Small Business Centre, why RISE Windsor-Essex was created, what sectors are most under-represented by women, how the Small Business Centre is supporting female entrepreneurs, challenges for female entrepreneurs amidst COVID-19, how to become involved with RISE Windsor-Essex, why there is such a large gap in women entrepreneurs in the Windsor-Essex area, and much more!
Abby is the founder of Abby White Co. and coaches her clients on how to use the power of their mind to create their dream life and achieve success. She uses her art to create online resources and guides that inspire consciousness shifting while tying in mindfulness, spirituality, and the Law of Attraction. Abby believes that the time spent here on earth should feel as fulfilling and happy as possible!
Abby has been a self-employed photographer/videographer for the last 10 years and recently made a career shift, diving into becoming a mindset/life coach after exploring it for the last year. She shares how she got into the photography industry, how it has been transitioning careers, what inspired her to become a life/mindset coach, how she finds her clients, advice for someone starting in photography, advice as a mindset coach, and much more! Don't miss out on this inspiring episode with Abby and hear what exciting plans she has to come!
Kelly Broocks is the founder of Pretty by Her, a business in the Waterloo Region that started as a fun little side gig out of her love for creativity while she worked her other dream job as a Social Worker in the Children’s Mental Health field. In September 2018, Kelly took the leap and left her social work job to take Pretty by Her full-time. She uses Pretty by Her as a platform for helping others feel better, which has always been the main vision of the business. Every product she makes is designed with the intention to make people feel good - either through sassy humour or kind and caring words. Pretty by Her also donates a portion of every order to Mental Health and Suicide Prevention programs and services in the community.
Kelly shares her entrepreneurship journey including turning her creative hobby into a full-time business, the creation process of products, evolving her brand over time, what she learned from starting a company without a background in business, the power of a strong brand reputation, striving for progress not perfection, showing the face behind the brand, Pretty by Her's mental health campaign, and so much more!
A scientist by training and creative by nature, Katie Costa holds a BSc from the University of Guelph in Nutritional and Nutraceutical Science, and an MSc in Human Health and Nutritional Science. The Wellness Marketer is her alter-ego, and it was created as a platform to serve other health and wellness professionals and businesses to help them thrive online.
A life-long learner, Katie is constantly wrapping her head around the latest Instagram algorithm or industry trends to deliver the best results to her clients. Beyond work, Katie is an avid globe-trotter and book worm always looking for her next adventure.
We talk about how Katie got into wellness marketing, how a school project turned into a real business, the power of referral marketing, time management and taking focus to action, running a business, with a full-time job, and finishing a masters degree, what she would’ve told herself when starting as a freelancer, being the face of your own brand, changing direction in your business, staying up to date on marketing trends, and much more! This is a must-listen episode on marketing and building a business!
Calista Desousa is a young 19-year-old entrepreneur from Canada. She started a handmade crochet business at the age of 16 and has now launched her very own swimwear company, ALFA. Calista’s main focus and purpose is to empower women and to be a leader and a teacher for self-love.
We talk about everything from how the business got started, the messaging behind the company, self-love rights and body positivity, why she decided to handmake the products instead of manufacturing, fast fashion, learning to run her business without a background in business, the Girls for Days campaign, women empowerment, what's coming next for her business, and so much more! Thank you Calista, for being so open and honest in this episode while sharing your journey and I hope others can learn from it as well!
You can also receive a discount on your purchase at https://www.alfawearboutique.com/ using the code MADEITHAPPEN at checkout!
Krista Wismer is the owner & designer of Kreative! She is a 24-year-old graphic designer, living on the bruce peninsula & has been running her business since high school. She is completely self-taught, has a love for formal stationery, an obsession with German cars & her two dogs, Ava & Maya! She specializes in wedding & personal stationery, business branding & handpainted doormats!
We talk about starting her business when she was just 16 years old, how she learned graphic design, marketing her business, growing her Instagram following, how she got into running workshops, shifting her business with COVID 19, taking her business full-time, and so much more! Hear about all things Kreative on this inspiring episode!
Samantha Feher is a journalist based in NYC, where she works for Cosmopolitan Magazine, along with three side hustles. Sam is a content creator, the owner of an online clothing boutique called Brunch Club, and a freelance consultant.
We talk all about working at Cosmo, including creating content for the magazine, her favourite thing about working there, and of course some behind the scenes Bachelor content you won't want to miss!
We also discuss the creation of her online clothing boutique company and her advice for those thinking of starting their own. Plus, we talk about her work as a freelance consultant, and Sam shares how she became a content creator by complete accident!
This episode was SO much fun and you'll definitely want to hear all of Sam's great stories and amazing advice!
Nikki is a marketing manager for a service company, running social media accounts for clients on the side, and working on her own influencer accounts when she has free time! She calls herself the queen of writing captions and is an endless source of internet culture references.
We talk about all things social media from starting her own social media business, finding her first clients, what it's like as an influencer, how she built her following, what to consider when working with brands, dealing with online negativity, and so much more! This was such a fun interview you won't want to miss.
Alexa Miller was born and raised on the Beautiful Bruce Peninsula, on a farm with her family in the small town of Wiarton. After college, she made the move to Alberta for almost a full year, but she missed the beauty of home and moved back in 2016. Upon returning she got a job as an assistant with a local top producing realtor, where her passion for Real Estate began. After a few years of being an assistant, her mentor sat her down to discuss getting her license. She put in the work, and after a year and a half, she became licensed and now sells Real Estate full time. She specializes in Residential homes, waterfront, acreage, and investment properties.
We talk about her journey into real estate, how she's overcome any obstacles that have come her way, making her first sale, how she's grown her client base, the highs and lows of the industry, advice for those thinking of entering the business, and so much more. If you are interested in entering into real estate, or just want to know more about the industry, this is a MUST listen!
After graduating from the University of Western Ontario & working in numerous fields, Julia has opened her own lash studio in her hometown. She now makes her own hours, executive decisions, and income. Julia strongly supports all women who want to become girl bosses and claim autonomy over their own lives.
We talk about taking that leap to start a business, how she got into the industry, how she manages that work-work balance, advice for those thinking of starting their own business, how she built her client base, the benefits and downsides to owning your own business, how COVID-19 has affected her business & what being a business owner means to her!
You may know her as the Founder of Booje Media, a digital marketing agency in Vancouver, Co-founder of Dew Edit scrunchie brand and Spade and Sparrows wine, or most recently, Podcast Nation. She is also the manager of people and brands including Kaitlyn Bristowe.
Clio and I talk about her journey as an entrepreneur, starting her own marketing agency, Booje Media's new Pay it Forward Campaign, working with influencers, co-founding a wine company, and scrunchie line, pivoting your business, advice for starting a business, and much more!
Connie Lo and Laura Burget are the founders of Three Ships (formerly known as NIU BODY), a 100% natural and vegan skincare company. They started the brand when they were both 23-years-old, with just $4,000 and a huge problem to solve. Their mission is to make natural beauty accessible for all women, with effective products all under $40. Since launching 3 years ago, Three Ships is now carried in >350 retailers across North America, has thousands of 5-star reviews online, and has appeared in publications like ELLE, Popsugar, and Refinery29.
We talk about starting their business when they were 23 years old, how they became co-founders, starting their business with just $4,000, how they built a following before they even launched a product, when they knew they were ready to take their side-hustle full-time, how they landed their products in large retailers, what they've learned about themselves as business owners, and so much more!
Shop their all-natural skincare products at http://www.threeshipsbeauty.com/discount/MADEITHAPPEN20 and use code MADEITHAPPEN20 for 20% off your purchase!
*One of Marketing Magazine’s top 30 Under 30, Erin is an entrepreneur, marketer, former journalist, and startup advisor/investor. She is the co-founder and CEO at Willful, an online estate planning platform that makes it easy for Canadians to create a will in less than 20 minutes. Prior to Willful she held leadership roles at communications agency Eighty-Eight, startup publication BetaKit, and at Sprouter, which was acquired by Postmedia in 2011. Erin is a frequent speaker with Speakers’ Spotlight, writes a column for the Financial Post, and is a tech commentator on CTV News. She has appeared in publications including The New York Times, Forbes, and CNN.
During this episode of Made it Happen, Erin and I speak about her journey as an entrepreneur, being one of Marketing Magazines Top 30 Under 30, What to consider when starting a business, how to market your business and make your presence online know, building your personal brand, managing that work-life integration, tips for public speaking & getting retweeted by Oprah..twice. We also touch upon the current situation of COVID-19, how it has affected Willful, and what business owners can be doing right now to cope with the situation.*