Dear Seekers

Born in Massachusetts, raised shortly in Toronto and Ottawa, and then grew up in Hong Kong, this neuroscience graduate has been stretching her interests and experiences far and wide over plenty of cities and multiple industries. After working as an event producer/promoter in Shanghai, Nancy came back to Toronto and co-founded Mansion- a music promotion and event planning group that produced Toronto’s most unique and desirable events.

After exiting the music scene, Nancy didn’t stop dreaming. In three years, she has created three restaurants- from German street eats to authentic Chinese. Now, when Nancy is not busy making sure all the food is up to her standard at SO SO food club, she probably is strategizing award-winning campaigns at Sid Lee. When she is not solving problems at work, she might be conceptualizing her next big idea.

Indeed, she is a busy woman- with smart ideas and big ambitions, but she never makes her move blindly. Utilizing her science background with an extremely creative mind, Nancy can’t get enough of bringing unique concepts to life and creating experiences that are hard to ignore and forget.

Before sitting on the couch with Nancy in her beautiful Loft, I paid a visit to SO SO just to make sure the food is truly authentic. And yes, I was impressed. For the first time, I was proud of my own cuisine- the kind of food I grew up with, crave for every weekend, and cannot leave without.

Being a rebel with a strategic plan, artistic heart, and cause in mind, Nancy is set out to bring real Chinese food made from scratch and of the best ingredients to Toronto.

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The first time I met Daniela Bosco was at an instalment hosted by Ewanika- one of the most elegant boutiques in Toronto, to celebrate Daniela as an extraordinary woman who has inspired the shop owner Trish. During the night, we exchanged thoughts on what it means to be a modern woman and what it means to be a woman in the modern world - yes, these two are quite different. And by the end of the night, I was totally under her spell. So much so that after the night, I had to stalk her on Instagram and eventually asked her for a coffee date.

Being a Creative Consultant/Stylist who is very much in demand and travels often and far, Daniela doesn't let her work define her. She insists on working with her own pace, slowly but steadily. But this realization didn't come easily. Right after closing her much beloved store- Chasse Gardée, Daniela became incredibly sick. This turmoil journey was probably one of the most painful and difficult times in her life but has also helped her gain clarity and reach back to who she once was- a tender yet strong feminist. 

Photography: Vai Yu Law

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For a chance to be included in the next episode, share your questions, comments or stories by recording something with your phone and send the MP3 file to [email protected]

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Mahro is the type of woman who is shy and quite but once you get to know her, her world is like a "Russian Doll" that has layers under layers.

In December 2012, at the age of 22, Mahro bravely signed a retail lease of one of the most prime locations on Queen st. West. Nearly 6 years later, her shop Mama Loves You has not only become a must-visit attraction for international tourists who seek for hidden gems in Toronto, but has also gained its popularity among many locals, including some of the women we feature, including but limited to our first guest, Stefanie Ayoub- owner of Boneset Studio, and the most recent feature, Amber Joliat- creator of the Misfit Studio.

Ever since being introduced to the world of vintage by her mom, Mahro has nurtured a genuine enthusiasm for the rare, the exotic, the colourful, and the old. Visiting her apartment was such an eye-opening and amusing experience.Sitting on the couch with Mahro beside all the artwork painted by her parents, we chat about her memory of being taken to value village and hidden antique shops, share our takes on fast fashion, and eventually bond over true crime documentaries.

Photography: Vai Yu Law

Connect with us on Instagram and Spotify. Leave us a review/comment on Apple Podcast.

For a chance to be included in the next episode, share your questions, comments or stories by recording something with your phone and send the MP3 file to [email protected]

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The name "Amber Joliat " and "Misfit Studio" seemed to surface overnight just a couple of years ago and since then, it's been producing a consistently concise yet compelling response: "She is amazing!" and "You HAVE TO try her classes!" I have to admit, first, I wasn't convinced. Who is Amber that Toronto seems to be so obsessed with? What is so magical about her classes that everyone keeps talking about? What does it mean to mix dance, yoga and pilates (how can it even be a thing)? My curiosity led me to Mr. Google and eventually to pages of articles written about Amber and the Misfit Studio she founded back in 2010.

After reading many interviews and write-ups, I became more intrigued and funny yet, more skeptical. How can a woman so amusing and enchanting exist in the real world? Until... I finally got the chance to meet Amber in person at a panel discussion hosted by KOTN earlier this year. Amber's soft-spoken, well-articulated, fruitful words can really melt your heart and re-awaken your soul. Not kidding! She has this magical and magnetic energy and vibrancy that makes you wonder: Is she real? Or maybe she is an earth angel? So, the rumor WAS right! The obsession now makes total sense.

Sitting on the couch with Amber in her equally magical home, she shares her childhood memories of being in love with dancing and drawing; talks about the art of language; and how to live and work with a more spiritual, purposeful perspective. She calls it: Practise the art of presence.

Music: Friday Morning by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100224

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

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I had long heard about Claudia Dey, one of the two best dressed Torontonians, with the other being her best friend Heidi Sopinka. But it wasn't until I started doing my homework for this interview and met Claudia in her beautiful and charismatic home that I came to realize that Claudia is truly an interestingly oppositional woman. She is gentle yet firm, child-like yet serious, chaotic yet orderly, dark yet joyful. Even herself, Claudia admits that she is always drawn to people who embrace the beauty of being multidimensional and contrary.

It's safe to say Claudia's life is first and foremost amongst hats and books. Her essays have been published in The Paris Review, The Believer alongside many other elegant magazines. With the success from her first Novel, Stunt - being one of Globe & Mail and Quill & Quire Books of the Year 2008, Claudia's second novel Heartbreaker has been listed as one of the most anticipated novels in 2018.

During our conversation, Claudia expresses her relationship with a hat that was given to her by her mother when she was a teen; explains why she thinks writer is an "invisible profession"; and shares the art of being an artist.

Connect with us on Instagram and Spotify. Leave us a review/comment on i-tune.

For a chance to be included in the next episode, share your questions, comments or stories by recording something with your phone and send the MP3 file to [email protected]

Music:

Friday Morning by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100224

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

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Caila Stangl is the cofounder and soul of Public Office, a creative and production studio based in Toronto. At a time when nothing in sight was visually thrilling, PO caught my attention. I visited their beautiful studio in the Artscape Youngplace building on a sunny day and had a pleasant conversation with Caila and Lindsay (the other cofounder). They've been doing some big things quietly- working with international elite clients like Roots Canada, Starbucks and other local beloved brands, such as Jenny Bird, Golden Ticket Candy. 

During our chat, Caila shares the small yet pivotal moment for her career; walks us through her first nerve-racking client pitch experience as a freelancer and how she eventually overcome that fear of "selling herself"; and she also talks about, as a designer, how to manage to be stimulated and inspired yet stay focused? 

Photography: Vai Yu Law

Connect with us on Instagram @DearSeekers

For a chance to be included in the next episode, share your questions, comments or stories by recording something with your phone and send the MP3 file to [email protected]

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With no job, no plan and no place to live, Lisa Mok packed up her car and drove from Ottawa to Toronto to pursuit something that she wasn't sure of at the time.

Now. Being the Global Creative Director of Canada Goose and having plenty of awards under her belt, Lisa has proved her success to her traditional Chinese parents. However, she could care less about all these achievements she has earned. In fact, the soft strength and resilience she has manifested allows her to strongly appreciate the small things, moments and imperfections in life. Her passion project, which she re-imagines, redesigns and alters the objects she found, has caught some attention. And if you go to her website at lisamok.ca, you will quickly fall in love with all these beautiful things and find it hard to imagine their not-so-perfect past.

Photography: Vai Yu Law

Connect with us on Instagram @DearSeekers

For a chance to be included in the next episode, share your questions, comments or stories by recording something with your phone and send the MP3 or WAVE file to [email protected]

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Today's guest is Sydney Allen-Ash. She goes by Syd. 

Studied Fashion Management at Ryerson university, Syd has not only nurtured a passion for local and independent designs, but has also developed an understanding of people and culture through clothing. Prior to working as a Digital/Brand Strategist at Virtue - an advertising agency under VICE, Syd acquired her interests in photography and worked with local boutiques like Ewanika and Nomad.

During our conversation, I learnt about Syd's rape trauma and the catalyst for her healing. She shares her takes on what it means to be a powerful woman and the connection between woman and power; she opens up her decision process of shaving her head and how this has helped shaping her identity and improving her self-esteem; and she expresses why lacking an identity could be a curse and a blessing for countries like Canada.

Connect with us on Instagram @DearSeekers

Visit Syd's home on www.dearseekers.com

Share your questions, comments or stories by recording something with your phone and send the MP3 or WAVE file to [email protected]

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One thing I've learnt from all the women I've interviewed so far is that as women, we don't have to live a life that is prescribed to us by anyone- the society, our parents, or even ourselves. Today's guest Odessa Paloma Parker is definitely one of the women who has been fully embracing her weirdness and celebrating who she truly is.

Being the Fashion Editor for The Globe and Mail, creator of the Vintage Crawl- an annual event participated by Toronto's best vintage shops, and now the Content Lead for Tokyo Smoke and Van Der Pop, Odessa has created big things quietly. But her personal style is far from mute.

In this interview, Odessa shares her journey from being an outcast to a confident woman; her takes on the fashion industry that is based on people's insecurities; and history lessons on how/why cannabis has been attached with stigma.

Give it a listen. Hope you enjoy it.

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You may have seen Tonya Papanikolov occasionally modelling for independent brands. Her outside beauty is undeniable, but what makes her even more loveable is her strong ties to nutrition, nature, and holistic beauty. Being the brain and facilitator behind her community The Well Woman, Tonya hopes to inspire and encourage modern women to take a slowed-down, in-depth, and holistic approach towards wellness and beauty. She hosts workshops, consultations and experimental dinners, and also has an interview series on her website, called Good Morning Interviews, that lets readers peak into the lives of women who know the power of ritual during the sacred morning hours.

During out chat, Tonya walks us through her journey from nutrition to fashion and then back to nutrition; she talks about what a healthy relationship with money looks like; and she shares the method that she has been practising to help her release emotions. Hope you enjoy it!

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