All good things must come to an end. But, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been a blast! Brett & I recap the last year - from buying a house, working baseball all summer, travelling, to wedding season - life has been busy, but no complaints here. On the podcast side, truthfully it’s been hard to keep up with in the grand scheme of things. As much as podcasting is still something I love to do and have a passion for, there are other things in my life right now that take priority over others, and that’s okay. I have appreciated all of the support this season and can’t thank all of my guests enough for taking the time to sit and chat with me about their unique POV’s. I have loved learning from each and every one of you! So with that, please enjoy this short but sweet - Season Finale of 'From My POV'. 

Paralympic bronze medalist - Marissa Papaconstantinou has overcome many obstacles in her life thus far. Being born without a right foot, she’s had to learn things differently. Growing up playing all kinds of sports, Marissa never envisioned herself as a professional athlete, not knowing that going pro was even an option for her. Falling in love with track and field, Marissa has made her way all over the world competing in various competitions, representing Canada as the one and only blade runner across the nation. Even though Marissa has struggled with injuries while training for her sport, she always reminds herself to stay present and trust her process, as she continues to grow up competing in the sport she loves. Going to university for Sport Media, she hopes to continue raising awareness on the Paralympics and just how important it is to support not only women in the sports industry, but people with disabilities as well. Look out for Marissa in the Paris 2024 Paralympics because not only does she shine in the world of her sport, she is the face of the generation of change.

Got that entrepreneurial itch? From residential cleaning to finding love in yoga, Founder of athletic apparel brand ‘AZUR Fit’ -  Erin Ward-Williams has the entrepreneurial eye to make a business success no matter what it may be. Originally starting AZUR with her older sister, their first product was actually tank tops - inspired by the fit fashion influencers in Los Angeles. Now, selling full sweat suits, yoga sets & more… AZUR has bloomed into the business Erin always dreamed of. She refers to her business as a “little gem” that she can “hold in her hand and cherish” and from speaking with Erin you can tell her passion for business and her AZUR community are what she lives for. For AZUR, inclusivity is very important - in all aspects. She wants every woman to be able to see themselves wearing the products and also see that AZUR is bringing function to fashion to the forefront.

Do you live a balanced lifestyle? Barry’s bootcamp instructor - Karina V, has had several monumental moments that have changed her life. From taking an interest in yoga, to travelling to Bali and ultimately ending up at Barry’s in Toronto, she’s reflected on the opportunities she has been given in the fitness industry. Teaching herself how to train with weights through a men’s fitness magazine, Karina has come a long way on her fitness journey. Being one of the founding trainers at Barry’s in Toronto, she focuses on doing what she loves and working to inspiring people to live a healthy and happy balanced lifestyle. For Karina, being an instructor gives her purpose. Hearing her clients positive feedback in feeling stronger, healthier and overall happier - she’s grateful to have found her space within the fitness world after putting in endless hours of work when she first started out. Even launching her own online platform where people can find classes on weight lifting, yoga, stretching and more! As Karina says, fitness is for everyone - you just need to start.

Do you believe music lives on forever? Stefan Calabrese, who goes by the stage name JET SET FOREVR - actually found his love for music as a Producer in high school making beats for a classmate. It wasn’t until a few years back that he stepped out of his comfort zone, found his own voice and decided to pursue music on his own terms. Being a singer is 1 thing, but being a songwriter is another. Luckily for Stefan he’s always loved writing music and also enjoys writing music for other artists as well. As an artist, he truly believes that he has finally found his sound, his brand and his overall visual aesthetic in the music space. For Stefan, staying true to who he is as an artist and as a person - is what he strives for with each song he writes. Always wanting to bring a meaning to his lyrics, that represent special moments and people in his life. “Making music is the closest thing to living forever”- Unknown. Stefan mentions this quote on the podcast, as he believes that it truly resonates with him as an artist, with his sole goal of wanting to touch people’s lives musically and make an impact - hoping that his music really will live on for forever. Catch JET SET FOREVR’s new song dropping - June 14th and stay up to date on all release events and performances through his Instagram bio.

What is YOUR true passion? For Shea-Lynne Noyes, basketball was always that. Growing up playing the game but ultimately thinking that going to school for Architecture would help her find a successful career - Shea realized that being an architect wasn’t really her true calling. A degree and a pandemic later, Shea decided to find out HOW she would ultimately find that dream job of working in basketball to some capacity. With that, she asked around the sport media industry, talking to everyone she could at Toronto universities, etc. to find out how she could make her a dream a reality. But, everyone told her it wasn’t possible. Shea took the ‘no’s and turned them into content. Creating on TIK TOK, Instagram and more - she focused on making content about basketball, the sport she knew and loved. With that, popular sports TV network - Sportsnet, came knocking on her door. She now hosts the ‘Best of the Fan’ on the SportsnetFan Radio show, and also works for Bet99 Sportsbook - where “Betting on Women is Never a Gamble”. Shea knew that she always wanted to end up working in sports and she’s grateful for all of the new opportunities the city of Toronto and her own dedication and perseverance has landed her thus far.

Got hops? Professional basketball player Phil Jalalpoor knew he wanted to do something in his life with basketball by the age of 5 years old. After watching Space Jam over and over on his television, looking up to Michael Jordan and asking his Mom for a hoop outside to practice - Phil was set on making his dream a reality. Growing up in Germany and travelling across Europe and North America to play - he ended his last season in Germany, right back where it all started. As much as he loves playing in his home country, he also thought he might try to go to the Olympics for basketball too! However, this time - playing for Team Iran. How you ask? With his Dad being Iranian and moving to Germany before Phil was born, Phil gained dual citizenship, and with that - took off to Tokyo. Even though Phil has been playing pro for the last few years AND is now an Olympic athlete he says, he’s not done yet.

Roses or Tulips? Founder and Creator of Ivory Cole Designs - Nicole Haslam started her business on a whim. After being laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic and bored as ever, she decided to buckle up, do some research and find a hobby that interested her. Little did she know that her “hobby” was going to be her passion and livelihood for years to come. For Nicole, she just wants to make people happy. Working with resin and putting an emphasize on florals to create stunning home decor pieces, she’s turned her small business into a a full time hustle, working for up to 16 hours per day. What she loves most about her job, is the place of stature her pieces hold in so many people’s hearts - from wedding collages, to creating a placeholder for lost loved ones, Nicole takes the extra care and love into the creation of each and every one of her designs. And with that, she has determined that her customer service and continuous dedication is what has made her business flourish over the past several months.

Ever thought of a brand idea, using your last name? Growing up in Windsor ON, to moving to Downtown Toronto for school - Jenna Labiak didn’t think she would end up where she is now. As everyone knows, being a university or college student is no joke. With little money to spend, Jenna wound up in Sephora one day looking at their hair products, specifically scrunchies. Upon looking at the prices, she knew she could make these, better. With that, she decided she was going to start making her own scrunchies - buying silks from thrift stores, even buying silk drapes and cutting up the fabric to fit the vision in which she was heading. She started giving them to her friends and getting their feedback and well then the rest, is history. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the first “The Scrunchie Labs” turned “The Silk Labs” took off. People just wanted more! Jenna even started “hiring” her own family to help her keep up with the demand and of course now, she’s put the needle down and prefers to enjoy the ride. From literally sewing scrunchies together in her family home, to now an entire SKU line of colors on her website - the Silk Labs are here and they’re here to stay.

How important is a connection? Dental Hygienist turned Entrepreneur - Brooke Huston has always dreamed of launching a swimwear line. Working as not only a hygienist, but also as an influencer for many swimwear brands - Brooke thought, “why can’t I do this? why can’t I be the person behind it and create this?” So with that, she alongside her business partner Kat Landry, launched '6 Degrees Swim' - based off of the 6 degrees of separation rule, meaning you are only 6 connections away from someone else in the world. To Brooke, one of the most important things to her business is, connection. Through working with brands as a content creator, she’s been able to establish long lasting relationships with other female owned business owners, content creators and more - who have also stepped behind her swimwear line and shown their support. At the end of the day, Brooke looks back on the brand after taking a leap of faith during the COVID-19 pandemic and starting to build her company. Coming from a small town in Thunder Bay, she has never wanted to settle - wether that be in her career, relationship, etc. and believes that starting now, is the only way you’ll ever do what you really want in life. But, to also remember to never get ahead of yourself and always take the time to reflect where you are right now and enjoy the ride.