Hustle Over Everything

In this episode, we have Alex Whitfield in the studio to talk about building a service based business and running Facebook Ads. Building a service based business is fun but it also presents an uphill battle. 

There are many entrepreneurs who are starting their business building agencies, production companies, freelancing, copywriting, and etc. Building a successful service business takes time. You’ve got to get clients, execute on the work, and scale the business to become profitable.

Alex is started his agency, Whitmedia, 2 years ago. Whitmedia is an agency that propels businesses marketing through effective creative content, and digital advertising.

Throughout the episode, Alex and I talk about the challenges of building his agency. From getting clients, learning everything from scratch, rejection, how to properly execute Facebook ads, and rolling with the punches of building something from nothing.

FOLLOW ALEX WHITFIELD:

WHIMEDIA WEBSITE: http://bit.ly/2uWPZwQ

ALEX WHITFIELD NSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/2ScPqH5

FOLLOW HUSTLE OVER EVERYTHING:

Shop Our Website: http://bit.ly/2mYZurF

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2pMQ4jU

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2Ix1leI

Owen Osinde Instagram: http://bit.ly/2LXmT6t

In this week’s episode, we have Mariam Ekram in to talk about her hustle, KOA Natural Foods. 

Koa Natural Foods is a Canadian manufacturer that is committed to the quality of their food products. They offer a variety of healthy and organic foods that are delicious and nutritious. KOA strives to encourage a lively lifestyle through a variety of their food brands.

The inception of KOA all started for Mariam as an idea on one of her morning jogs. She wanted to create a healthy snack with simple ingredients she could understand. And from that, Kewaza and Koa Natural Foods were born.

Mariam had a vision of creating a snack product that solved her own problem. She didn’t like they way she felt after consuming snacks. She loves sweet snacks but she saw there was an opportunity in the market to maintain the element of a great taste, but also make them healthy. The idea grabbed her and she went on to creating the snacks that met her needs.

Mariam is the definition of a hustler. She started KOA Natural Foods 6 years ago and she has managed to get her snack brands into major retail stores such as Wholefoods, Sobeys, Loblaws and Rexall to name a few. She has built her company from her own home to owning her own manufacturing facility.

Throughout this episode, you will hear how Mariam has done it. She provides great insight on what it’s like to build a company that makes snacks, how to make a great product, they key to building a standout brand, how to get your product on retail shelves, the foods industry and all the unconventional tactics she has used to get doors opened. 

This was a great episode that leaves you inspired and motivated to go after what you believe in.

Press play & enjoy!

FOLLOW MARIAM & KOA NATURAL FOODS

KOA WEBSITE: http://bit.ly/2YwRsEU

KOA INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/36gporN

MARIAM INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/33Yt285

FOLLOW HUSTLE OVER EVERYTHING:

Shop Our Website: http://bit.ly/2mYZurF

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2pMQ4jU

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2Ix1leI

Owen Osinde Instagram: http://bit.ly/2LXmT6t 

In this week’s episode, we have Carla Kabbabe in the building to talk about building a jewelry company. Carla is the founder and CEO of Claurete jewellery. Claurete designs handcrafted fine jewelry pieces with unique style designs, executed one by one using quality materials, technology, care and excellence. 

Carla saw an opportunity in the market to make jewelry that is light, comfortable and adds a touch of elegance to any of your looks. Carla launched Claurete a year ago and has steadily grown the business with a large catalog of products, team members, and is working on it full time. In our conversation together, we spoke about the process of executing a jewelry company. 

We went deep into the process of the design, manufacturing, and putting it out in the market. We also touched upon being an entrepreneur and building a business. It takes a lot of work and time to build a business. 

Carla spoke about what drives her, the future she has for her company, and her mindset as an entrepreneur building a business. 

This conversation provided me with great insight into the jewelry space and how to execute building a business of this caliber. Tune in for a great chat! 

FOLLOW CARLA & CLAURETE: 

Carla’s Instagram: http://bit.ly/2rObBtr 

Claurete’s Website: http://bit.ly/2Dxh6zD 

Claurete’s Instagram: http://bit.ly/35Q1rHF 

FOLLOW HUSTLE OVER EVERYTHING: 

Shop Our Website: http://bit.ly/2mYZurF 

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2pMQ4jU 

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2Ix1leI 

Owen Osinde Instagram: http://bit.ly/2LXmT6t

In this week’s episode, we have Del Hartley in the studio to talk about his passion for music.

I got introduced by a mutual friend of Del to his music 6 years ago when he was just starting out. I immediately became a fan because of the passion and focus he had for his music.

There’s a respect I have for people who act boldly towards achieving their dreams and goals. I followed his music over the years and watched him develop his fan base and doing shows. I was fortunate to bump into him on the streets of Toronto a year ago and a half ago & we’ve kept in touch since.

Del has a unique sound that transcends the ordinary. Del Hartley’s sophisticated yet unique expression of music is a hybrid of the modern R&B sprinkled with a touch of soulful music of the 70s. With the falsetto of an Al Green and the deep baritone of Teddy Pendergrass, Del brings a sound to today’s industry that is considered by his listeners as nonpareil. He refuses to put himself in a box or impose limitations on his style.

I invited Del to the podcast because he embodies what Hustle Over Everything is about. Del’s focus is to make great music and share it with the world. He has a strong desire to create and become great.

Through the episode, we spoke about his beginnings into music, building a fan base, appearing on CTV the launch, managing life as an up & coming artist, and I got to ask him how he felt the moment he realized his Instagram account was verified, and many more!

Tune in for a great episode where we speak about the behind the scenes of what it takes for an artist to get heard and build their brand.

FOLLOW DEL HARTLEY:

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/37Bdw5i

iTunes: https://apple.co/2Okm8pn

Instagram: http://bit.ly/33knMv7

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2QICE42

Del Hartley’s Website: http://bit.ly/35FZI7V

YouTube: http://bit.ly/2DdEoKM

FOLLOW HUSTLE OVER EVERYTHING:

Shop Our Website: http://bit.ly/2mYZurF

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2pMQ4jU

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2Ix1leI

Owen Osinde Instagram: http://bit.ly/2LXmT6t

In this week’s episode, I have my good friend Lauren Russ-Constant in the studio to talk about mental wellness. Mental health is something that is now in the forefront of our minds and in our daily conversations.

A lot of people experience depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, social anxiety, and Mood disorders. If you have never experienced these illnesses, it is a difficult situation to really understand how someone feels when they are experiencing them.

Lauren has experienced depression, anxiety, and OCD. She had this happen to her 5 years ago and has gone through therapy to help her overcome them. She is currently starting a company called Space Parties. Space Parties is a community making healing easier. It’s providing the space to connect with therapists, coaches, healers, & allows people to get together to make new friendships.

In this episode, we wanted to really have an open conversation about the subject.  We spoke about the history of mental health awareness decades ago to now, the attitudes towards mental wellness, the triggers of mental illnesses, how different cultures view mental illness, how the internet has influenced the topic, and how social media impacts our mental health.

This was an educational episode where we were both vulnerable and spoke deeply about the topic with our own experiences.

If you have ever wanted to hear someone’s experience with mental health and how you can help others, this is the place to start.

FOLLOW LAUREN & SPACE PARTIES:

LAUREN’S INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/2rMPfIU

SPACE PARTIES INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/3553tDe

FOLLOW HUSTLE OVER EVERYTHING:

Shop Our Website: http://bit.ly/2mYZurF

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2pMQ4jU

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2Ix1leI

Owen Osinde Instagram: http://bit.ly/2LXmT6t

In today's episode, we have recording artist Jay Glavany in the building to talk music and being an artist. 

Jay Glavany is a recording artist from Toronto, ON. Jay always knew that music was in his plans ever since he was young. It’s a career that he has always set his mind upon from the time he was asked to choose a career path while in school. 

Jay has dedicated his life to mastering music. He attended Metal Works Institute, a prestigious arts & entertainment school based in Mississauga, ON. Upon graduation in 2014, Jay has one studio album and has seven singles out. 

Being a musician is not an easy task. They’re many individuals who aspire to make a living being an artist and producing music. I brought in Jay to talk about the process of making music and the day-to-day life of being an artist. 

The current music landscape is different compared to how it was in the early 2000s. The internet has broken down barriers, and has provided outlets for aspiring artists to receive exposure and create.

 Artist such as Jay, are now independent and are forging their own path by building their own fan base from the grassroots level using the internet.  

Jay and I talk about the nuances of the music business, crafting a unique sound, the process of creating music, and the desire to make it as a major artist in the game. 

FOLLOW JAY GLAVANY & HIS MUSIC: 

iTunes: https://apple.co/2NDLsWT 

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Q58wj3 

Instagram: http://bit.ly/32D1PHp 

Website: http://bit.ly/2Q9WdBO 

FOLLOW HUSTLE OVER EVERYTHING: 

Shop Our Website: http://bit.ly/2mYZurF 

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2pMQ4jU 

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2Ix1leI 

Owen Osinde Instagram: http://bit.ly/2LXmT6t

In this week’s episode, we have Matty Tsoumaris in to talk to us about the hospitality business and how he has built his venues here in the city of Toronto. 

Matty is the definition of a true hustler. He has been in the hospitality game ever since he was attending school at King’s College in London, ON. He began by honing skills as a promoter at local bars in the city and from then on, he knew that this was the businesses he will be in. Matty realized early on that he had the ability to get people together and create memorable entertainment experiences for them. 

When he moved back to Toronto after school, he got involved in his father’s business, Piccadilly Circus, and grew it into becoming a hot spot in the city. He created a lifestyle brand called Uniq Lifestyle to incorporate all his new venues. At the time, these were the city of Toronto’s most prolific venues. These were Cheval, Brant House, & West. The Uniq Lifestyle brand was versatile in the things it did. They got involved in music festivals such as Digital Dreams, and F1 in Montreal. 

Matty transitioned into his new venture, Honeycomb Hospitality Group, which has a strong focus on restaurant and bar venues. If you are a local Torontonian and you go out, you have most likely been to one of Honeycomb’s spots. These venues are Baro, Escobar, Wildflower, Petty Cash, Mr. Wolf and many more. These are currently some of the city’s best places for entertainment and dining. 

In this episode, we dive into the nuts & bolts of running a hospitality company that houses Toronto’s best spots. We discuss how Matty got started, the nature of the hospitality business, how King Street West has developed into an entertainment hub, the challenges of getting a venue off the ground, and we discuss the mentality one needs to succeed in the business. This is a great episode packed with so much value and shows how the hustle never stops. Tune in! 

FOLLOW MATTY TSOUMARIS: 

Honeycomb Hospitality Website:  http://bit.ly/2WLn3Sk 

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2JLeAsY 

FOLLOW HUSTLE OVER EVERYTHING: Shop Our Website: http://bit.ly/2mYZurF 

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2pMQ4jU 

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2Ix1leI 

Owen Osinde Instagram: http://bit.ly/2LXmT6t

In this solo episode, I talk about the fear of taking a chance. There are things people want to do, and create for the world. They never get to it because they are afraid of taking that chance to get started.

Having fear is normal. It’s what makes us human. We are born with two fears. The first fear is the fear of a loud sound, and the second one is falling. All other fears are created and we take them on as real.

A lot of these fears are made up in our heads because of outside influences. Our outside influences affect our mental states and we adopt certain attitudes, behaviours, and pattern in our lives which hinder us from getting started.

In this episode, I share my personal thoughts on the factors that make us have this fear and how we can overcome them to really do what we want to do.

FOLLOW HUSTLE OVER EVERYTHING:

Shop Our Website: http://bit.ly/2mYZurF

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2pMQ4jU

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2Ix1leI

Owen Osinde Instagram: http://bit.ly/2LXmT6t

In this week’s episode, we have Nikayla Rodney in to talk about her subscription box business, Scarlet Lingerie. 

Nikayla and I go way back to our Ryerson days.We were in the same business program at Ted Rogers & we finally met when we worked together in a group project in our Sports Marketing class.

Nikayla had a revelation when she took her graduation trip to Portugal for a month. The trip allowed Nikayla to reflect on herself, and decompress after completing a 4-year business degree program.

During this trip, she got inspired to want to create something when she got back home to Toronto. She has always loved lingerie and wearing lingerie always made her feel confident about herself.

This desire to create drove Nikayla to create a lingerie subscription box business. She wanted to share this feeling with other women around the world by creating a service that will always make them feel empowered.

Nikayla’s vision is to make women feel sexy and confident when they wear lingerie. She believes that women need a jolt of confidence each & every day when they look in the mirror.

Lingerie has always been a staple piece that added sex appeal to women’s lives. According to Nikayla, some women never get to experience this because of how they feel about their bodies.

The Scarlet brand wants to invite women from all shapes, sizes and backgrounds to be & feel comfortable wearing lingerie.

In this episode, we talk about how Nikayla is navigating being a first time entrepreneur, building a subscription box business, being a black female entrepreneur, & how to juggle a 9-5 job and coming home to build a business.

I love this conversation with Nikayla because it highlights the true nature of entrepreneurship and it’s difficulties.

If you are thinking about starting something, this episode will provide an entrepreneur’s perspective who is in the starting stages.

FOLLOW SCARLET LINGERIE:

Website: http://bit.ly/2W9axfb

Instagram: http://bit.ly/31tfX5r

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2qu3bXD

Nikayla Instagram: http://bit.ly/2qy6htX

FOLLOW HUSTLE OVER EVERYTHING:

Shop Our Website: http://bit.ly/2mYZurF

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2pMQ4jU

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2Ix1leI

Owen Instagram: http://bit.ly/2LXmT6t