Bombshell Brunches Podcast

From an industrial working class town to the BBC’s Powerlist, Vick Bain teaches us how to play career chess (and WIN). From a love of performing to generating social capital in a man’s world, Vick shares how she raised twins as a single mother, found her career strengths, and rose to a position of one of the most influential people in the UK’s music industry. We’re so inspired by this lifelong learner, and know you will be too. Vick, through her own journey, reminds us that tenacity, perseverance, and solutions-based thinking are key ingredients to breaking free of the stereotypes that can try to hold us down. So get your game hat on, and prepare for a powerhouse episode!

Vick has worked in the music industry for twenty-five years.  For six years she was Chief Executive Officer of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers & Authors (the Ivors Academy) and is a Sheffield University BA (Music and Performing Arts) and Henley Business School MBA graduate. She is the author of an influential industry report Counting the Music Industry, and founder of The F-List directory of UK female musicians: a not-for-profit organisation aimed at facilitating professional opportunities for women in music.  Vick was enrolled into the Music Week Women in Music Awards Roll Of Honour and the BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour Music Industry Powerlist.  Vick is also a director of the board of the Incorporated Society of Musicians, a music tech start-up called Delic and is a trustee of Parents & Carers in Performing Arts (PiPA).

RESOURCES:
The F-List Directory: click HERE

To connect with Vick Bain: click HERE

To connect with Bombshell Brunches: click HERE

To connect with Kristina Lao: click HERE

To connect with Raquelle Roodenburg: click HERE

Thank you to our incredible BB Team: Glen, Bosco, Hannah, Grace, Elvin and Nicole!  

Levels Music Production: Audio Career Pathway Support (to connect with Levels Music Pro, click HERE)

What an inspiring, incredible episode to ring in the New Year! From a long love of the English language, through competitive hockey, to billboards and chart-topping tunes, Nimkish (she/they) embodies every part of the art form in order to inspire the world with socially conscious stories. We talk about the investment made into learning the language of your career, building your blue sky, and taking control of your workflow. Nimkish avidly believes that when you put what you want out into the universe, based on what you believe in, you attract your team. Every entrepreneur, creative, and life designer is a  project manager of our own careers. So get your vision board out, put in the work, and don’t settle for the status quo, because you, BBs, are worth your biggest dreams.  

About Nimkish: 

To fully immerse in the multitudes of Indigenous rising star Nimkish is to honour the past, look ahead to the future, and bask in the resplendent present all at once. The Vancouver-based marvel-in-the-making is fearless in her lyricism, confronting anti-Indigenous racism and colonial violence alongside other hard subjects like anxiety, grief and heartache. To the great tradition of singer-songwriters healing through their music, Nimkish brings a bright-eyed aim to flourish in all she has experienced. Stylistically, Nimkish exists in a realm between Kehlani and King Princess, softly orbiting Sabrina Claudio. Her lyrics give affirmation to past pain while living in the moment. To some it may sound like escapism, to others it may sound like moxie-driven R&B-pop pulsing through the club. What’s certain is her fortitude — she’s an it-girl on a mission.

RESOURCES:

• Nimkish's Music 
• Jon Lee

Nimkish’s Team:

• Matt Maw (Manager)
• Red Music Rising
• Noreen Hamid (PR)

To connect with Nimkish: click HERE 

To connect with Bombshell Brunches: click HERE

To connect with Kristina Lao: click HERE

To connect with Raquelle Roodenburg: click HERE

Thank you to our incredible BB Team: Glen, Bosco, Hannah, Grace, Elvin and Nicole!  

Levels Music Production: Audio Career Pathway Support (to connect with Levels Music Pro, click HERE)

It's our last episode of 2021!! We’re winding down with some Tuesday Rambles! After a long-drawn nerding out over retro gaming (SUPERNINTENDO ALL THE WAY), Raquelle and Kristina sit in our new virtual coffee house for a chat about social etiquette, disclosing your relationship status, and how to hold space in a, well, space. We love having these conversations and look forward to YOUR thoughts and ideas, as well all continue iterating and setting our intentional living parameters. This one’s for those of us who like to read a book at a bar, and for those who are plucking up the courage to talk to someone at a bar. 

To connect with Bombshell Brunches: click HERE

To connect with Kristina Lao: click HERE

To connect with Raquelle Roodenburg: click HERE

Thank you to our incredible BB Team: Glen, Bosco, Hannah, Grace, Elvin and Nicole!  

Levels Music Production: Audio Career Pathway Support (to connect with Levels Music Pro, click HERE)

It’s the first official day of Winter, and we’re celebrating with our TEAM! Meet Elvin, Hannah, Bosco and Glen, four of the six of our BB team members who are behind the scenes, producing the content that reaches your glorious eyes and ears every week. 

Bombshells began as in-person brunches, to create a community of like-minded, ambitious and socially conscious people. This team is the embodiment of that, and we are so proud of our team, who they are, and what they believe it. 

So sit back, grab your favourite bevvie, and listen to our team’s top episode votes, key takeaways, career challenges and how to overcome them, and best resources for a productive and proactive 2022! 

P.S. We’re missing Grace and Nicole today but we’re sending love their way!

We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank our past BB team members  Brittni Noble and Kristie Chan, who helped us get things up and running and whom we ADORE! 

Team Votes for their top BB Episodes of 2021: 

• Building A Loyal Community w/ Natasha Jung from Cold Tea Collective
• Becoming a Better Man w/ Shea Emry
• Embracing Culture Shift for Authentic Success w/ Mayumi Yoshida  
• Warriors & Wonder Women w/ Mama Lao 
• Language Reclamation & Honouring Your Mother Tongue w/ Carmela Sison
• Honouring Your Body Wisdom w/ Jen Murtagh

GLEN RECOMMENDS

• Smartless Podcast
• Waking Up App: Sam Harris  
• Rick & Morty
• French Earl Grey Tea from David’s Tea 

BOSCO RECOMMENDS

• Book: The Silent Patient
• EmergenC

ELVIN RECOMMENDS

• Book: The Meaning of Mariah Carey 
• The Secret
• Mile Higher True Crime Podcast 

HANNAH RECOMMENDS

• Books: Mahary Macfarlane
• TV: Ted Lasso

Thank you to our incredible BB Team: Glen, Bosco, Hannah, Grace, Elvin and Nicole!  Levels Music Production: Audio Career Pathway Support (to connect with Levels Music Pro, click HERE)

Dr. Ian Cromwell has his hands in so many baskets. Ian is a Health Economist, highly sought-after multi-instrumentalist, and community champion with his collective Locals Lounge, which aims to elevate musicians across all genres and curate exceptional experiences for audiences all over the city. From hustle culture to abundance mindset, we start in science, and move into facilitative leadership models that embrace a collaborative, values-based and mutually beneficial mindset. A perfect partner to your morning beverage, this episode will inspire you to be vulnerable, build trust, and find the overlap in your skillset. We’re walking through the tastiest ingredients to a more sustainable, fulfilling career, and we’re here to help you get your next initiative going.

So let’s all sit down, find each other, and get to making some stone soup.

 About Ian Cromwell

Ian Cromwell is a musician, scientist, and community organizer in Vancouver, BC. Ian spends his days conducting reviews of health economic evidence on behalf of the Canadian health care system. By night, you can find Ian at the helm of Locals Lounge, a local music community incubator. Locals Lounge has recently launched the far-reaching 'Constellation' project - a collaboration between local music event organizers designed to welcome people back into Vancouver's music scene in the wake of COVID. Ian can also be found on stages around Vancouver, performing live with the help of his electric violin, guitar, and loop pedal.

 RESOURCES

Locals Lounge

To connect with Ian Cromwell: click HERE

To connect with Locals Lounge: click HERE

To connect with Bombshell Brunches: click HERE

To connect with Kristina Lao: click HERE

To connect with Raquelle Roodenburg: click HERE

Thank you to our incredible BB Team: Glen, Bosco, Hannah, Grace, Elvin and Nicole!  

Levels Music Production: Audio Career Pathway Support (to connect with Levels Music Pro, click HERE)

**CONTENT WARNING** - This episode contains information that may be emotionally triggering for some people. We ALWAYS recommend speaking to your emotional, mental and physical healthcare professionals if you have specific questions or concerns. With that said, we hope to shine a safe and kind light on the essential, sensitive topic of miscarriage.

This episode is definitely my (Raquelle’s) most vulnerable episode to date. I personally asked Ashley to come on the podcast after having a miscarriage over the summer. And what was crazy to me was the lack of information surrounding it. I had zero reference to know if what I was experiencing was normal or not and could not wade through the amount of generic or quite frankly garbage information that saturated the internet.

All I kept thinking was that I wished I could talk to Ashley about this. Especially about the hormonal changes flooding my body. And then I realized, if I’m having this problem then other people likely are too. Approximately 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage. This episode is about hormones - we are not focusing on the emotional experience here, so we’re being candid, opening the door behind the scenes. We talk about the terms “not viable vs miscarriage”, the big red reset button, and the lack of control on both sides of the reproductive equation. 

When you know what’s going on with your body and you can understand what’s happening, it helps to provide a safe space to listen. From ovulation to miscarriage, join us as we talk through the facts, the stats, the hormones and how very different this experience is for every individual. 

About Dr. Margeson

Dr. Ashley Margeson is a licensed and registered Naturopathic Doctor with a strong focus on women’s health, hormonal regulation, health optimization, and burnout recovery and prevention. She has a thriving practice filled with patients who are focused on improving their quality of life. Dr. Ashley is also the host of The Superwoman Code; a weekly podcast educating young professional and busy women about how to make their health work for them, not against them. She is also a full-time stepmom to her 5 and 7-year-old children.

RESOURCES:

Dr. Ashley Margeson’s Podcast 

Dr. Ryan Funk’s Episode (Acubalance) 

Dr. Ashley Margeson’s Episode

Dr. Dixon and Carolynn Dubé’s Episode

Special thanks to Crystal Richard PR for the introduction to this amazing human! 

To connect with Dr. Ashley Margeson, click HERE 

To connect with Bombshell Brunches: click HERE

To connect with Kristina Lao: click HERE

To connect with Raquelle Roodenburg: click HERE

Thank you to our incredible BB Team: Glen, Bosco, Hannah, Grace, Elvin and Nicole!  

Mayumi is a beacon of finding the possible, perfecting your pitch, and finding the best team by being your truest self. We know that feeling of not quite belonging, and that little (or loud) voice that pushes past what your culture, parents or society wants you to do. To find her unique storytelling voice, Mayumi takes us on a beautiful journey through the search for identity, a love of community, and being you above all else. A trans-national kid who danced between careers throughout her life, we talk through imposter syndrome, industry pressures, and the joy of helping others find the values in authenticity. The richness of culture brings so much more to story, and the credentials you have are only a portion of the success recipe, no matter your industry. So, sit back, take tea, and get ready to learn how to add the spice of YOU to everything you do!

About Mayumi: 

Born in Japan, raised in three continents, Mayumi Yoshida is an actor, writer, director, based in Vancouver, BC. Her role as Crown Princess (The Man in The High Castle) received a 2016 UBCP/ACTRA’s Emerging Actor nomination. For detailed acting credits please click here.

As an award-winning writer/director, Mayumi has been a leading force in emerging Asian-Canadian Cinema. She’s an alumna of Women in the Director’s Chair Career Advancement Module, Women in Focus Mentorship at Whistler Film Festival and currently the participant of the inaugural WarnerMedia x Canadian Academy Access Writers Program. She recently was also selected to be part of TIFF Netflix Talent Accelerator Fellowship and TIFF Writer’s Studio for 2022.  She is currently working on her feature film version of Akashi-あかし-.

RESOURCES: 

Women in the Director’s Chair Career Advancement Module 

WarnerMedia x Canadian Academy Access Writers Program

Akashi-あかし-. 

TIFF Netflix Talent Accelerator Fellowship  

To connect with Mayumi: click HERE 

To connect with Bombshell Brunches: click HERE

To connect with Kristina Lao: click HERE

To connect with Raquelle Roodenburg: click HERE

Thank you to our incredible BB Team: Glen, Bosco, Hannah, Grace, Elvin and Nicole!  

Levels Music Production: Audio Career Pathway Support (to connect with Levels Music Pro, click 

Welcome to another R&K Brunch Break… This is the hangover episode. I (Kristina) am NOT fresh-faced or bright-eyed. It’s been a week, this one’s a doozy, and we’re sure it’s happened to you all before. We’re talking about social graces. We’re talking when to give the ‘leave me alone’ signal, and when we are going there to meet people. Apparently, different places have different ways to be… what’s YOUR opinion on what I should have done?! Raquelle tells me to lie. I refuse. So, welcome to our short, 30-minute banter on what we say, and what we mean, and all the different things it can REALLY mean. Enjoy (and if you’re listening after a night of cocktails, then I FEEL YOU, BOO). 

To connect with Bombshell Brunches: click HERE

To connect with Kristina Lao: click HERE

To connect with Raquelle Roodenburg: click HERE

Thank you to our incredible BB Team: Glen, Bosco, Hannah, Grace, Elvin and Nicole!  

Levels Music Production: Audio Career Pathway Support (to connect with Levels Music Pro, click HERE)

Miss Canada 2020, Black Lives Matter Activist, and Model Nova Stevens has a message for you: Love yourself first, surround yourself with a community who inspires you, and be fiercely proud of who you are. We talk to Nova about her childhood and the massive shift of moving from Ethiopia to Newfoundland, moving out as a 15-year old and taking on New York City. This episode delves into the world of pageantry, the importance of mentors, the impact of social media presence and posting, and letting your love for humanity lead your way. Anyone looking to level up, disrupt the norms, and be the change you want to see - for yourself first, and THEN for others, this one’s for YOU! Nova so beautifully hopes we will all one day say: “you can’t believe in me more than I believe in me”. So, BBs, ask questions, invest in yourself, and stand up for positive progress and systemic change. Nova is a true inspiration, and we’re so excited to share our time with you!

 About Nova Stevens: 

Nova Stevens (born; Nyawal Bukjok) is a Canadian model, activist, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Canada 2020. As Miss Universe Canada, she represented Canada at Miss Universe 2020, making her the first woman of South Sudanese origin to compete at the pageant. Stevens is also a professional model and an activist for Black Lives Matter.

To connect with Nova: click HERE 

To connect with Bombshell Brunches: click HERE

To connect with Kristina Lao: click HERE

To connect with Raquelle Roodenburg: click HERE

Thank you to our incredible BB Team: Glen, Bosco, Hannah, Grace, Elvin and Nicole!  

Levels Music Production: Audio Career Pathway Support (to connect with Levels Music Pro, click HERE)

Welcome to our very first Bombshell Roundtable! This year has been STRESSFUL, babes! So, we invited two of our favourite people, Ocean Bloom (Trauma Release Therapist) and Donna Benedicto (actor extraordinaire) back on the podcast to talk about how stress affects our bodies, which consistent rituals or schedules keep us sane and how we deal when sh*t just hits the fan. Stay safe and sane out there bombshells and remember to protect that energy!

About Donna Benedicto: 

Donna Benedicto was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She is an actress and producer, known for Supergirl (2015), Almost Human (2013) and Minority Report (2015).

About Ocean Bloom: 

Ocean Bloom is an internationally renowned bodywork therapist, wellness coach and retreat leader. She has over 25 years’ experience as a Fitness World Champion, Celebrity Personal Trainer and Certified Yoga Teacher. Ocean has worked and studied extensively in South East Asia and Europe. Her pioneering approach combines fitness modalities with the ancient elements of Yoga, Chinese and Thai Medicine to facilitate the return to health not just physically but also in the mind and spirit. Ocean is the founder and facilitator\ of “Conscious Movement Therapy”. From high profile celebrities and athletes to first responders and trauma survivors, she has helped individuals release emotional blockages and reset their thinking process.

To connect with Ocean, click HERE

To connect with Donna, click HERE 

To connect with Bombshell Brunches: click HERE

To connect with Kristina Lao: click HERE

To connect with Raquelle Roodenburg: click HERE

Thank you to our incredible BB Team: Glen, Bosco, Hannah, Grace, Elvin and Nicole!  

Levels Music Production: Audio Career Pathway Support (to connect with Levels Music Pro, click HERE)