From My POV

Do you wish you were born in a different generation? My baby sister, Juliana came onto the pod this week to discuss her experience growing up in the 2000’s, what she loves about her generation and what she wished she could change. Growing up in the age of social media, Jules thinks the importance of having a good support system, and treating people how you want to be treated is what will help get anyone through those tough high-school years. She also touches on her feelings when it comes to mental health awareness, dealing with mental health problems at such a young age, what provokes negative thoughts and how she’s working on overcoming her mental health each and everyday.

Do YOU have a niche? As a content creator, finding a niche can be extremely difficult… or, it can happen by total accident! For Tik Tok Creator Tyson Smith, being creative was easy the part… finding out what kind of content Tik Tok consumers liked best, was the struggle. After *lots* of trial and error, it was his goofy humour and silly persona that really shined through. Uploading a video interrogating a sock (yes, you read that right) turned out to be the answer he was looking for. As he watched his video hit thousands, to hundreds of thousands, to millions of views- Tyson realized that THIS had to be it. Best part? He wasn’t even going to upload his most viral video… and his skyrocket to Tik Tok fame was a total accident. For Tyson, being authentic and staying true to himself is what pushed him to the next level he is at today. He believes that being real and not trying to fake it, is what his followers like most about his content - always staying relatable and providing a good laugh to those who come across his videos. As a creator myself - I couldn’t agree with him more. And with that, in the words of Tyson Smith himself, “So tell me… why haven’t you subscribed to Emelie’s podcast yet?”

Ever wondered what it’s like to be an actor? As some people may not know, the film industry is an interesting place. From auditioning, to booking roles… parts can be few and far between. Joelle Farrow - an actress from Toronto, has experienced the highs and lows of the film industry from being accepted by her acting agent at 14 years old, to having her scene cut in a major tv series. But, despite the struggles that come along with the ride of being an actor - Joelle has also learned a lot about herself and her work, throughout her acting journey thus far. Starting out with smaller roles in ‘What’s Up Warthogs!’, ‘Degrassi’ and more, to booking her first lead role in a movie on Netflix - Joelle has taken every part and made it her own. If you are an aspiring actor and are looking to hear experience from the outside in, Joelle is here to bring you the advice you may be looking for.

‘Home is ____ ?’ Whether you were born and raised in Toronto or moved to the city at one point or another - odds are, you’ve heard of Toronto’s apparel brand Peace Collective. Their mission - to give back to their community. From CAMH, to food banks, to refugee aid, Peace Collective looks to make a difference, one piece of clothing at a time. Head of Operations - Lisa Diep, came onto the podcast this week to give us the BTS of the brand, how they started, how they’ve grown and where they’re headed. Lisa herself - starting her career in finance, quit her job on Bay Street to move over to PC - knowing she could bring her expertise to the table and help Peace Collective get to the successful brand they are today. From the iconic ‘Home is Toronto’ and ‘Home is Canada’ sweatshirts, to epic collaborations with the MLB, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street and more - Peace Collective is making their mark and Lisa can’t wait to continue on the journey and see what happens next.

Do you bet on yourself? Offensive Lineman for the Seattle Seahawks - Dakoda Shepley, didn’t start his athletic career playing football, he actually started out playing hockey - as Canadian as it gets! He even went to a training camp at Michigan State and told the football coach he wanted to play “defence” because he “thought defence defended the quarterback”… After starting to play in high school, he was then recruited to UBC where he, alongside his teammates won a Championship - putting Dakoda on the football map. As an undrafted free agent coming out of university, he signed with the NY Jets and was cut after being told that he was “too raw and had “too much to develop”. From there he went to play in the CFL for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Shortly after, he signed as a free agent with the San Fran 49ers and was eventually waived after 1 season and claimed by the Seahawks all within the same day. Although Dakoda’s NFL journey is just beginning, he firmly believes that the biggest way to achieve your goals is by betting on yourself, and realizing that “the only way to fail, is to quit”.

What has changed YOUR life? Jason Pagaduan, aka ‘905 Shooter’ to fans of the ‘NELK Boys’ - found himself working for some of YouTube’s powerhouse pranksters in the early stages of his career.  But, after leaving California and returning back to his hometown of Mississauga, Ontario - he quickly realized that his love for photography and videography was something he wanted to pursue on his own full-time. After dealing with a quick rise to fame and recognizing a change in how he viewed himself, he decided to use his passion for photo and video and capturing the “perfect moment” to his advantage, also launching his own YouTube channel. Jason also explains how something as simple as a book, can change your life. After reading ‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck’ - he was able to accept his past, any missed opportunities and regret, and instead learn how to digitally pivot - making him the successful photographer and videographer he is today.

Feeling uninspired by beauty products these days? Professional Makeup Artist - Samantha Marchione has always loved makeup. From doing dance as a kid and putting her own makeup on before recitals, she loves feeling beautiful. From there she took her passion for makeup and turned it into a career. However working for big beauty brands, Samantha was left feeling uninspired and bored by the makeup industry and its products. With that, she decided to take matters into her own hands and consult a friend in marketing, looking to use her own voice in the narrative of changing beauty and its toxic standards. Ironically enough her consult was actually looking for her too. From there, Samantha became engulfed in the world of cannabis and CBD. Using CBD as the main ingredient in her product line - 'Nuveev Wellness', bringing forward product ideas and then bringing the products to life through marketing. Needless to say, Samantha is here to welcome skincare consumers to the world of cannabis, and cannabis consumers to the world of skincare.

Anxious AF?? CEO and Founder of 'Going Mental' - Paige Lyrette has always struggled with mental health.  However, it wasn’t until her Mom noticed a change in her mindset - that Paige started seeking therapy for her mental illness. Now for some reason, therapy is still a very taboo subject amongst people, with many admitting that they don’t like to talk about their mental health. Taking this into consideration and also channeling her own mental health struggles, Paige launched her apparel brand, ‘Going Mental’ with the hopes of shedding more light on mental illness and the stigmas that surround it. With over 9 different apparel drops, blog posts, social content and more - Paige has found her rhythm in running her own brand, taking control of her own mental health and helping others who may be struggling with mental illness. Be kind to your mind and NEVER doubt your brand mission.

Ever wanted to take a brand YOU created… full-time? Toronto born and raised, Stefanie Furgiuele - Founder of Original Genes TO, knew she loved 2 things: fashion and painting. After working for a fashion agency in Toronto, she also knew that working for a big box company - wasn’t for her. So with that, she took her love for painting and mixed it with clothing, starting her brand - ‘Original Genes TO’, painting designs onto jean jackets. From there she’s expanded to painting shoes, hosting virtual paint nights, making paint by numbers kits and more. With that, Stefanie decided one day she would make painting and running her brand her full-time job and she’s done just that. A pandemic later and she’s been successfully running and operating her brand all on her own, using her artistic talents for custom made painted jackets or even pre-designed ones, of course - showcasing her home, with the Toronto skyline. She has many hopes and dreams for her business and can’t wait for what the future holds for her.

Out for a brew are ya bud? Jordan and Josh Goure - also known as the Brew Brothers in Windsor, Ontario tell me all about how they knew they wanted to open a micro-brewery just outside their hometown. From working in the bar and service industry as bartenders, bar-backs, etc. they both knew they didn’t want to work for just anyone, they wanted to work for themselves. Thus, ‘Brew’ was born. With a signature ‘Maple’ Beer, and hosting ‘Unfiltered Fridays’ every week, they were able to grow and flourish. But entrepreneurs never like to be bored… so with that, they opened Vin Winery and a wedding venue attached to the property - ‘Wedding in the Woods’. With everything they’ve got going on, they have learned to lean on each other, in taking their entrepreneurial journeys to the next level, together. Jordan and Josh are nothing short of a riot and love a good drink… so some may ask, what’s next - well you’re going to have to tune in to find out…