Gabriela Zaga from Zaga Home Decor and Staging immigrated from Mexico to Canada in the 1980s. First she lived in Montreal, where she learned English and then Spanish. When she arrived in Kelowna almost 2 years ago she immediately felt "this is home" and decided to move here with her sons. We talk about how the country of Mexico has changed so dramatically over the years, especially recently. We also go in depth about Gabriela's love of design and the amazing work she is doing to help beautify and stage properties throughout the Okanagan. 

You can listen to Episode 33 (and see Show Notes with relevant links) of the I Love Kelowna Podcast right here:

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SHOW NOTES AND LINKS

I've decided to be as concise as possible with the show notes. All I am going to do from now on is post a brief summary, identify the guest, and any relevant links. By this winter we plan to have over 40 episodes published… so I want to make it easier for you to choose which ones to listen to first. 

Learn more about Gabriela and all of the services she offers at Zaga Home Decor and Staging

Gabriela nominates Delia Miskuski and Teresa May to come on the I Love Kelowna Podcast. Thank you so much to Kara Rogers for nominating Gabriela!

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NOMINATE YOURSELF, ANOTHER PERSON OR A BUSINESS TO APPEAR ON THE I LOVE KELOWNA PODCAST

Michelle Dupuis from Lifeblood Marketing and Realty Labs is a great person, who unexpectedly relocated here from Alberta 9 years ago. We talk about dealing with homesickness, and learning how to build a great life from scratch in your new hometown, by making connections and building friendships that last a lifetime. The struggle to find, and then finally settling in to a profession that really suits your personality. The value of surrounding yourself with great mentors. Great marketing comes from knowing everything about the motivation and mindset of the seller, and then conveying that message effectively.

You can listen to Episode 32 (and see Show Notes with relevant links) of the I Love Kelowna Podcast right here:

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If you enjoyed this episode, an iTunes review would be SO appreciated! It's super easy to do right within the Podcast app.

SHOW NOTES AND LINKS

I've decided to be as concise as possible with the show notes. All I am going to do from now on is post a brief summary, identify the guest, and any relevant links. By this winter we plan to have over 40 episodes published… so I want to make it easier for you to choose which ones to listen to first. 

Learn more about Michelle and Lifeblood Marketing and Realty Labs

Lifeblood Marketing Facebook Page

Michelle nominates Dr. Lauren Tomkins, West Kelowna Integrated Health Centre to come on the I Love Kelowna Podcast. Thank you so much to Roz Huber for nominating Michelle!

Michelle also wants to give a shoutout to Danielle Grundy and Christina O'Reilly who both work with her at Lifeblood Marketing. 

Learn more about volunteering to help dogs at Paws it Forward.

Hockey is such a wonderful Canadian sport but it can be very expensive. Learn about volunteering with the Grindstone Award Foundation, where you can help young girls to participate and thrive with hockey.

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NOMINATE YOURSELF, ANOTHER PERSON OR A BUSINESS TO APPEAR ON THE I LOVE KELOWNA PODCAST

Meghan Carr from Get Organized with Meg sat down with me, for a great conversation about starting a new business, in a city where she had just relocated to and barely new anyone. We discussed how decluttering and organizing not only frees up physical space, but also mental and emotional space.

You can listen to Episode 31 (and see detailed Show Notes) of the I Love Kelowna Podcast right here:

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SHOW NOTES

• Meghan came to Kelowna in April of 2016. First moved to Lower Mission but then settled in West Kelowna.
• The challenges of getting into the housing market, especially for a young couple in the Lower Mainland, let Meghan and her fiancee to try the Okanagan. With family in the Okanagan, Lower Mainland and the Kootenays, Kelowna/West Kelowna was the perfect choice.
• Kelowna has all the elements of a small town and a bigger city: Good nightlife, great restaurants, lots of amazing outdoor activities, and great, friendly people.
• There is a big range of house prices even within the cities of Kelowna, West Kelowna and Lake Country, and timing is very important! Also, working with a knowledgeable and responsive REALTOR®, someone who really understands your needs and desires and the local market, is extremely important.
• Transitioning to the hospitality industry to organizing and staging: many of Meghan's interpersonal and business skills translated well to her new business.
• A strong desire to be your own boss, and a careful analysis of your strengths and weaknesses, and a detailed business plan are the keys to becoming an entrepreneur.
• Childhood memories of helping her little friends get organized, and the look of horror on their faces :D 
• Meghan's parents – especially her mom –were very organized people, but it was her aunt who truly inspired her. Her aunt was not only organized but also a great decorator and could make a home look beautiful on a budget.
• The differences between natural talent and skills that can be learned.
• Meghan's steps to having success in a new business when you are brand new to the city and hardly know anyone: creating lists, legal steps, informal and network marketing, launching, promoting, referrals and repeat clients.
• A deep dive into Facebook, Instagram and Google ads: what to do and not. How to spend your ad dollars wisely. The pros and cons of each platform.
• Personal organization is really about personal transformation, not just improving spaces. It is not just a physical declutter, but also mental and emotional. Decluttering and organizing frees up space for all kinds of wonderful things to come into your life.

Learn more about Meghan and her home and office organizing services at Get Organized with Meg.

Get Organized with Meg Facebook Page

Meghan nominates Heather McColl from Investors Group to come on the I Love Kelowna Podcast. I nominated Meghan.

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Cindy Finnigan is such a creatively talented and all-around wonderful individual! I learned about her passion and the creative process in making spectacular cakes. Not only do they taste AMAZING – Cindy brought me a deep chocolate with salted caramel filling and Mexican vanilla buttercream cake for the interview – many of Cindy's cakes are visually stunning. You should definitely check out her Instagram profile @cakeryarts

You can listen to Episode 30 (and see the Show Notes) of the I Love Kelowna Podcast right here:

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If you enjoyed this episode, an iTunes review would be SO appreciated! It's super easy to do right within the Podcast app.

SHOW NOTES

• Cindy first worked at Starbucks for 7 years where she made many friends and met her first business partner Raylene, and they launched As You Wish Weddings and Events.
• During the last big recession, "As You Wish" went from catering 17 weddings down to 2, so she decided to find a job and was hired by a wedding and events company where she stayed for about 3.5 years.
• Due to stress-related health issues, she took a medical leave from that job but ultimately decided against returning.
• Cindy has always had a passion for baking, so she developed her craft and experimented during her time off, and grew to love it more and more. 
• The fascinating story of when it first occurred to Cindy that she could make amazing cakes for a living.
• Cakery Arts is another Community Futures Success Story.
• One of the great keys to success is genuinely and actively caring for the emotional well being of your clients.
• How to guarantee that your customers will love your product, every single time.
• Never turn down a request that causes you to learn and to create something spectacular. Constantly building your skillset and toolbox.
• Being a little bit nervous when undertaking a project is a really good thing, because it forces you to be conscientious and do everything you can to do a great job.
• Sharing kitchen capacity with a separate business. Think of creative ways to leverage your assets or help other people to leverage theirs by renting to you during off-hours.
• Barter is a great way to trade excess capacity for the products and services you need without using up too much of your precious cash. Every startup business in Kelowna should check out Trade Exchange Canada.
• Developing a detailed, error-proof production process that is efficient and profitable.
• How to make a delicious, texturally great, gluten-free, dairy-free or egg-free cake.

Learn more about Cindy Finnigan and her wonderful creations at Cakery Arts.

Cakery Arts Facebook Page

Cindy nominates Jenn Kyllo from Pinot and Picasso to come on the I Love Kelowna Podcast. Thank you so much to Julie Davidson Pringle for nominating Cindy.

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NOMINATE YOURSELF, ANOTHER PERSON OR A BUSINESS TO APPEAR ON THE I LOVE KELOWNA PODCAST

Karen Mason is a career communicator and lifetime volunteer with a passion for supporting women and children. As executive director of Kelowna Women’s Shelter she oversees a team of dedicated, highly-trained staff to provide emergency and transitional housing, counselling support, education and advocacy for women and their children who’ve experienced intimate partner violence and abuse. We discuss how the Shelter is helping real women and children living among us in Kelowna, who need vital help starting a new life free of abuse.

You can listen to Episode 29 (and see the Show Notes) of the I Love Kelowna Podcast right here.

If you enjoyed this episode, an iTunes review would be SO appreciated!

SHOW NOTES

• Karen has been the Executive Director of the Kelowna Women's Shelter for 4.5 years now. A very interesting story of how she got there with a background in journalism, radio and television, and later public relations work.
• The difference between journalism and public relations: with the former you don't have a lot of choice about what will be covered, and some of the stories are not pleasant or interesting to you as a journalist. With the latter you get to tell stories about things you believe in.
• During her time as a volunteer for the Shelter, Karen decided she wanted to be the director of a non-profit organization that she believed in. As it turned out, the Shelter was just about to post an opening for exactly that.
• Although Karen was never certified as a social worker and had never worked as an executive director for any organization, she believed she was qualified and made her pitch. The board of directors agreed and hired her.
• As part of her duties she manages over 30 staff and volunteers and many processes. A lot of boring but extremely important work to keep in compliance with the BC Societies Act.
• Directly impacting the lives of women and children who live in our community and need help starting a new life free of abuse.
• They call it "the cycle of abuse" for a reason. Quite often after an abusive episode, couples will go through a honeymoon period until it quite often happens again. Statistics show it takes a woman leaving an average of 7 times before she leaves an abusive relationship for good.
• The Shelter looks at rental listings every day and works closely with several subsidized housing facilities throughout the city, meet with landlords, and help with government assistance.
• The Shelter is government funded for about half of the work that they do, so they must raise about $600k every year just to meet their budget needs. There is also a voucher system with several non-profit organizations including the Shelter's Thrift Store at 6-368 Industrial Avenue.
• Violence against women isn't a women's issue, it's a human issue. Men have a responsibility to ensure that women are treated with respect and equality, even if we're not in a position to donate.
• Some very interesting and groundbreaking research into the connections between partner violence and traumatic brain injury

Learn more about Karen Mason and the Kelowna Women's Shelter

Kelowna Women's Shelter Facebook Page

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NOMINATE YOURSELF, ANOTHER PERSON OR A BUSINESS TO APPEAR ON THE I LOVE KELOWNA PODCAST

During this interview with with Shawnee Love from LoveHR, we discuss the challenges of starting a brand new consulting business from scratch during a recession; what to expect and how to be successful.

You can listen to Episode 28 (and see the Show Notes) of the I Love Kelowna Podcast right here:

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SHOW NOTES

• Shawnee had spent most of her adult life in Vancouver before moving to Kelowna in 2005.
• She got tired of the long commute, the extreme cost of decent housing in Vancouver that would allow her kids a grass yard to play in and enjoy the great outdoors. Because she loves to hike and bike, go to the beach and ski, Kelowna was the winner.
• Fortuitously, she was working for a wine company and had to travel to Kelowna for work. Combined with several vacations here, the choice to move was easy.
• Realized her passions are Communications, People and Business, and those informed her career choice to become a consultant.
• Balancing work and family life in the most effective way: working long hours + volunteering at her boys' school.
• Human Resources, Compensation, Employee Recruiting and Retention, Onboarding/Orientation, Compensation & Benefits, Training & Development, Performance Management, and Culture are the key components of her business.
• Starting a brand new business in the midst of a recession in 2008: Mindset, persistence, and finding clients.
• Community Futures offers some fantastic programs that can help with crafting a business plan, obtaining funding, and mentorship, all of which can be extremely difficult or impossible to obtain when dealing directly with a bank as a brand new business.
• Expect only 20-30% of your hours to be billable in your first year as a consultant! If you do really well you *might* hit 50% in your second year.
• When it comes to marketing, you should do what you excel at and not worry too much about marketing avenues that you either don't enjoy or are not cost effective for you.
• Kelowna is a great and welcoming city for entrepreneurs and small business startups.
• Shawnee and I assess the current state of the local economy: Indicators are very mixed, with some businesses really struggling to fill open positions with quality workers.
• A new designation: Certified Management Consultant.
• 2 book recommendations: The Captain Class: The Hidden Force that Creates the World's Greatest Teams by Sam Walker and Your Oxygen Mask First: 17 Habits to Help High Achievers Survive & Thrive in Leadership & Life by Kevin N. Lawrence.

Learn more about Shawnee Love and read her blog on a variety of HR topics at LoveHR

LoveHR Facebook Page

Shawnee nominates Shane Austen from Okanagan coLab to come on the I Love Kelowna Podcast. Thank you so much to Kara Rogers for nominating Shawnee.

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NOMINATE YOURSELF, ANOTHER PERSON OR A BUSINESS TO APPEAR ON THE I LOVE KELOWNA PODCAST

During this interview with with Todd Embley from HorizonThree, we discuss the exciting world of Transformative Technology, which is tech that furthers the human aims of Mental Health, Wellness and Joy. We discuss the fascinating world of venture capital and small tech startups. If you're running a technology company – or thinking of starting one – and you're wondering if Kelowna is the right city to be based out of, you definitely want to listen to this conversation.

You can listen to Episode 27 (and see the Show Notes) of the I Love Kelowna Podcast right here:

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SHOW NOTES

• Todd is a newer resident of Kelowna but used to live here as a child, when his father ran the big lumber mill over by Knox Mountain. Todd received most of his adult education in Vancouver.
• About ten years ago, Todd moved to China, fell in love with a Russian woman, got married and started a family.
• An attempt to navigate Canadian immigration laws and bureaucracy in 2008 during the recession. Decided to stay in China and become an entrepreneur.
• Moved to San Francisco in the summer of 2016 because his son was becoming sick from severe air pollution in China.
• With the election of Donald J. Trump in 2016 and his promised tightening of even legal immigration, they decided to move back to Canada a little over a year ago.
• Three Horizons: 1. What you do as a company. 2. Iteration and improvement. 3. Creating new business. It's the third aspect that mature companies often struggle with, and that's where HorizonThree helps fill the gap.
• The first step is doing an analysis and seeing where the innovation bottleneck exists. Being aware of existential threats as well as opportunities for growth.
• Kelowna is a great city to live in and for running a tech company! Todd and I discuss many reasons why.
• They use rocket.to to help with their sales funnels. They are now even using Instagram for lead generation. Discussion of the various social media platforms and how they're useful for the funnel.
• Todd serves as the Canada Country Manager and a Mentor at the Transformative Technology Academy: A 6 week accelerator program for people who are working on "transformative technology".
• Transformative Technology is specifically any tech that furthers the human aims of mental health, wellness and joy.
• An in depth discussion about mental health, bullying, social media and the best possible ways to help our young people to survive and thrive in today's world.
• Todd is very bullish on the Kelowna economy and prospects for growth. There is a very high quality of people that live here and are attracted to our city.
• Tech startups or wannabe tech startups should check out Accelerate Okanagan.
• A series of predictions about what Kelowna will look like in 5 years.

Learn more about Todd Embley and HorizonThree.

HorizonThree Facebook Page

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NOMINATE YOURSELF, ANOTHER PERSON OR A BUSINESS TO APPEAR ON THE I LOVE KELOWNA PODCAST

During this interview with with Natasha Rosewood from Energy Dynamics Unlimited, I had both of my palms read and my fortune told! Natasha and I have an in-depth conversation about Intuitive Intelligence: How to recognize it and cultivate it within yourself. Anyone can do it with persistent effort!

You can listen to Episode 26 (and see the Show Notes) of the I Love Kelowna Podcast right here:

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SHOW NOTES

• Natasha moved from England to the Lower Mainland when she was 30, and to Kelowna about 4 years ago.
• Gibsons BC was wonderful, but she decided to move to Kelowna because she had so much family living here.
• Natasha and I discuss our favourite Kelowna restaurants.
• Intuitive Intelligence: modern life can be like swimming through an ocean of sharks, so this is a very vital skill.
• Thoughts are magnetic impulses which constantly attract and repel people, circumstances and seemingly random events to or away from ourselves.
• She knew she was psychic ever since she was little, but started palm reading at the age of 22 while working as a flight attendant.
• A dramatic and devastating experience in Whistler, BC catapulted Natasha into the spirit world.
• Psychic readings, cards, palms, dream interpretations and … Ghostbusters!
• Natasha has even helped several realtors cleanse a house and it's resulted in quick sales.
• Your left palm shows the movie of your life, which is co-authored before birth between you and your spirit guides.
• Your right palm shows the choices you've made in your life and how you're choosing to live your movie.
• An in-depth review of Luke's characteristics and future.
• Transforming childhood difficulties into great gifts for the world.
• Natasha thinks I may have a book writing future ahead of me and some wisdom to impart.
• Key differences between being intuitive vs. Being psychic.
• Her second book is full of stories about bringing your past soul forward and healing it. (Link to all three of Natasha's books is found below).
• Our ego is like the tip of the iceberg, hiding most of what is going on underneath.
• "Flight of Your Life" is Natasha's upcoming book. All about her experiences as a flight attendant based out of England. I can't wait!
• Also working on another book: "Intuitive Intelligence: Unlocking Your Superpower."
• Our society is losing its sense of connection, it's humanity. We need to get back to sitting together, conversing with each other, having fun together.
• Self publishing versus trying to find a publisher. Pros and Cons. Things to watch out for that can bite you!

Learn more about Natasha and buy her great books at NatashaRosewood.com.

Natasha's Facebook Page

You can also buy Natasha's books at 

Divine Inspired Gifts and Gallery.

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NOMINATE YOURSELF, ANOTHER PERSON OR A BUSINESS TO APPEAR ON THE I LOVE KELOWNA PODCAST

My interview with Melissa Voth McHugh from Voth Photography. A quick and concise conversation about how to excel in customer service and the photography business.

You can listen to Episode 25 (and see the Show Notes) of the I Love Kelowna Podcast right here:

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SHOW NOTES

• Melissa is one of our rare guests who was born and raised in Kelowna.
• Received a Fine Arts degree then moved to UBCO then moved to Vancouver to pursue a career in photography. Lived there for ten years.
• Met her husband and business partner Sean McHugh in the Lower Mainland and they decided to move (back) to Kelowna in 2009.
• Melissa loved photography ever since she was a little girl. Her parents encouraged her to experiment with cameras from a young age. It was a family that loved to document everything.
• Her dad bought her a classic Pentax K-1000 with an entire set of lenses when she was still very young, and she cherished it and used it all the time.
• Persuading her grade-school art teacher to teach photography to the class.
• Even though photography was a part of her life from a very young age, it was near the end of her fine arts degree at UBCO that she decided to pursue it as a career.
• The enlightening and very important exercise of creating a business plan and having that scrutinized.
• Solving the biggest challenge of any new startup: Finding lots of clients!
• A life-changing breakup helped Melissa to take life and her career much more seriously and purposefully.
• The wonderful world of photography: documenting special moments in time.
• Understanding who your ideal client is and being open to opportunities.
• Great advice for young people wanting to get into the business.

Learn more about Melissa and Voth Photography.

Voth Photography Facebook Page

Melissa nominates Christina Ferreira of Impact Events and Ron & Colleen McMillan of McMillan Farms to come on the I Love Kelowna Podcast. Thank you so much to Kara Rogers for nominating Melissa.

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