Welcome back to another inspiring interview with an immigrant woman entrepreneur whose story recently led her to take the stage at TEDX Kanata.  Karla Briones is a business strategist who coaches new immigrants, BIPOC and underrepresented business owners on becoming successful entrepreneurs with scalable ventures. She’s the founder of IDEA which stands for Immigrants Developing Entrepreneurs Academy. It’s an online platform designed to educate and connect newcomers to the Canadian business ecosystem. 

Karla is a Nation’s Capital Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year award recipient and a TEDx Speaker on the topic of immigrant entrepreneurship. She’s also a small business columnist for the Ottawa Citizen and an active part of her community. On top of all this, Karla owns three business in the Ottawa region, including Global Pet Foods Kanata and Global Pet Foods Hintonburg as well as Freshii Westboro.  

In today’s episode, Karla and I talk about the courage it takes to share our own story and the magic that happens when we do. Hearing Karla’s story today really made me think.  

After all, so many of us fail to see the magic in our own journey, and the power that comes when we share that journey with others.  I’m always grateful when women like Karla step onto new stages and have the courage to be the first one to deliver a message or to share a version of a story that other people really need to hear.  

And what’s more, when we share our own story, we’re creating meaningful connections with so many other people who can relate to what we’re speaking about and who find comfort and inspiration in the words that we share.  

Here are my Top 10 Takeaways from today’s conversation with Karla:  

1. It’s the vulnerable parts of our story that make us relatable to others.  

2. Our authentic story can remove barriers between ourselves and the audience we’re serving.  

3. When we become leaders, success is all about growing other people.  

4. We all have a different definition of success. And that’s exactly the way it should be.  

5. Never underestimate the value of your own network and how far it can take you.  

6. Always be bold enough to knock on a new door and ask for the help you need.  

7. Networking is a 2-way street. When you receive help, be sure to look for opportunities to help out someone else.  

8. Don’t discount the power of your own story; someone somewhere is waiting to hear it.  

9. It’s often the ordinary, everyday stories that make the greatest impact in the world.  

10. We can’t imagine the ripple effect that takes place when we’re bold enough to share our own story.  

Thanks so much for listening in to today’s episode. If you enjoyed this interview, please take a moment to subscribe, rate and review Power Your Platform on Apple Podcasts. When you do, we’ll be able to help us reach more women and encourage them to turn up the volume on their own stories. 

Until next time, keep owning your story, following your purpose and raising your voice – because the world is waiting to hear your story!  

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Karla Briones 

TEDX Kanata Talk