OV Boss Babes

After working for First Air airlines and having her kids, Amy realized that she no longer wanted to work for the corporate world and switched careers, moving into the fashion industry and working at A Dash of Fab for 4 years.. until Amy realized that the entrepreneurship bug had caught up to her and she was ready to go into business herself.

Amy wanted to have a shop where people could buy affordable and high quality clothes and in 2021, she opened Racked, a consignment boutique in downtown Arnprior and as they say, "the crowd went wild!"

In this episode...

💆🏽‍♀️We hear Amy's story from her journey as a single mom, having fun working with lovely Karen Kavanagh at A Dash of Fab, to becoming an entrepreneur and business owner herself

👗 We discuss "fast fashion" and why it's a serious problem to the environment, the fashion industry and clothing businesses

👯‍♀️ We celebrate the power of community and babes that empower one another and truly become family

🧋Amy shares why she is a "retired wine mom" and how she made the best decision to choose sobriety for herself and her family

OV Boss Babes Podcast proudly presents:✨BABE BEYOND THE BRAND ✨

Sarah and April Brown were two best friends working in the corporate world when they decided to invest in a dingy motel in Prince Edward County in 2016. They renovated and re-branded the property to radiate a rosé all day vibe while also providing a fun and Instagramable experience!

After opening the June, it blew up on the socials and in the media, and attracted the likes of Vogue, Toronto Life, Travel & Leisure, Enroute and hundreds of bloggers and content creators who wanted to experience the boho and retro vibes and all the luxury that is the June.

Then came their second motel in Sauble Beach, where the renovation process was captured on film... and led to a Netflix docu-series! The June Motel has grown into an internationally recognizable brand and I sat down with the June babes to chat all about it!

In this episode, we discuss:

🥂 How these babes came up with the name "The June" and how they decided to embark on a creating a reputable, well known brand that is putting two rural communities in Ontario on the map

🥂 Why they decided to invest in two motels instead of renovating homes and turning them into Airbnb's, while also entering into a market where there is lots of other hospitality competition with other accommodation options, such as Airbnb's

🥂 How these babes came to having a hit docu-series on Netflix, how it exploded and if there will be a season two

🥂Why there is lots that goes on behind the scenes while their seasonal models are closed and what's all in store this summer and beyond!

After working the government and private business sector as an IT consultant, Amy Rensby was off work with her husband attending to her injured dog when she realized her job was no longer serving her and was also taking a serious toll on her mental health when she pulled over on the side of the road and resigned right then and there.

Even though Amy didn't initially enjoy baking, she did have a passion for cooking delicious food and seeing how it brought people together. She first launched a catering business which eventually morphed into her bakery and bistro, C'est Tout in downtown Smiths Falls and Amy never looked back.

In this episode, Amy chats about:

🙌🏻 The full story on how she made the decision to leave her secure job as an IT Consultant and how her husband fully supported her in this decision

👂🏼Amy's perspective when people say "you should..." or "have you tried...?" and why it starts with LISTENING

🫶🏼 What business mentors are "sitting at her table"and how they contribute to C'est Tout's success

🧁 The secret ingredient to having a successful bakery +

We know that feet help with our balance and mobility - but how do they affect our overall health? Katrina Platt is a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) and a Certified Foot Care Nurse (CFCN) and young startup business owner in Barry's Bay.

Katrina has several years of experience providing person-centered healthcare, but decided to embark on a new venture, bringing foot care services to the Madawaska Valley community through Katrina Platt Foot Care!

In this episode, we chat about...

👣 How Katrina first 'stumbled' across this profession and why she wanted to pursue medical foot care as a career

👣 Why people with diabetes have a higher risk at developing foot problems and what treatment looks like

👣 The fascination with feet and why some people love the feeling of feet or looking at pictures of feet 🫣

👣 Why Katrina's business cannot be found on the socials ... and why it probably never will be 🤔

Be sure to check our Katrina Platt Foot Care's website at https://www.kpfootcare.com

Vickie Lanthier is a keynote speaker, upcoming author, veteran, and entrepreneur with lived experience working through adversities such as trauma, burnout, finance and identity struggles. Her background in the Canadian military, as well as being an avid traveler, professional consultant, and creative entrepreneur inform her inclusive and mindful approach.

For more than a decade, Vickie has been sharing tips and advice about her favourite hikes around the national capital on her Girl Gone Good blog and Instagram accounts and is on a mission to promote the prioritization of wellness while exploring nature through safe and responsible recreation. She is an advocate for ensuring that your mental, physical and spiritual health is looked after first and foremost, and has partnered with numerous Canadian outdoor organizations that focus on mental health, conservation, well-being, and inclusivity and accessibility.

In this episode, we chatted about:

🤍 Vickie's former career in the military, societal stigmas in military culture and how mental health surrounds it

🌲 How community, wellness and wilderness are the foundation behind Girl Gone Good ®️

🥾The best hiking trails you can find throughout the Ottawa Valley (but why you won't find Vickie on them!)

🫶🏼 How Vickie is helping others to connect with themselves, others, & nature #GoodHumanRevolution

Located in the historic town of Wilno, Ontario, the Wilno Craft Gallery features a selection of Canadian made pieces, many in which are crafted by local artists and artisans. It's been around for over 35 years and is one of Madawaska Valley's tourism spots that you must stop by and check out while you're passing through this charming town, as locals say it is worth the visit.

The owner, Anna Sagatowska, a former microbiologist, shares why she and her husband immigrated from Poland to Madawaska Valley, how she and her husband took over the Wilno Craft Gallery, the rich history of the gallery and some of the artists whose work you can find for sale!

Kaitey Cosgrove always wanted to have a space in downtown Carleton Place where local entrepreneurs, families, working professionals, couples and individuals cojld enjoy a hot cup of coffee and delicious food from her coffee bar and work in a boutique co-working space - and so she totally did that, renovating the former vacuum shop and opening the Foundry Collective and Coffee Bar!

In this episode, we chat about:

🍦 How Kaitey and her husband's first business was actually a converted horse trailer turned into an ice cream truck #ChillZone613

☕️ Why Kaitey didn't just want to create a coffee shop and included a collective networking hub #coworkinggoals

😵 The history behind the historic building at 122 Bridge Street (and what interesting items she found during renovations)

🙌🏻 How things have been going in Kaitey's first 3 months in biz!

Melissa Jardine-Ridley graduated from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Algonquin College Pembroke Campus in 2016. Prior to becoming a nurse, Melissa had served in the Canadian Armed Forces for several years. Her passion has always been to "create a community for those who keep watch on the homefront while their Soldier or First Responder is away" and to give back to her own community of front-line workers.

Melissa unexpectedly left the Forces due to a back injury and surgery, and then was called to enroll into the RN program at Algonquin's (then) brand new college in Pembroke. Melissa speaks to the road that led her into the nursing field, formerly working at the Renfrew County Public Health Unit, until multiple friends and family sent her a job posting for a Parish Nurse.

Tune into hear the unforgettable story of how Melissa joined the Upper Ottawa Valley Parish Nurse Initiative (UOVPNI) Health Council and how Algonquin College, her local horse therapy business, and spirituality all led her to embarking down this career path (and why she never looked back)!

This week, Holly and a couple members from her team are out in Prince Edward County filming some exciting content with Sandbanks Estate Winery and sitting down for an exclusive interview with the June Motel girls for OVBB's Babe Beyond the Brand series. But Holly wanted to share this episode talking about brand partnerships and collaborations, and the power of perseverance and persistence (and what happens when a brand or people you want to work with say no) and how to keep positive, work harder and ultimately, be successful. Holly also shares her exciting partnership with Sandbanks Wine as she announces their new partnership as Sandbanks's wine brand ambassador! 🥂🫶🏼

In 2021, born and raised Ottawa Valley boss babe Krista Cliche always knew she wanted to embark on entrepreneurship after having parents that were successful small biz owners.

After her youngest started school, she decided to launch her home baking business and provided custom cakes, cupcakes and other delicious desserts for 5 years. But then she decided to venture into a new line of creations and so she closed her bakery and focused the next two years on her soy candle collection, attending as many markets as she could until she opened her official store, Pure Canadian Candle Company, in Downtown Pembroke in March 2021.

As any entrepreneur excited to start on their solo adventure, navigating it during a global pandemic wasn't a part of Krista's as business plan...but she persevered and successful made it through COVID and has expanded her collection, moved locations and has hosted many successful vendor markets and pop ups.

She is currently nominated as best entrepreneur and favourite local business in 104.9 myFM's 2023 spirit awards, is a community champion, local biz supporter and gives back to her community as much as she can.