These days, there are so many people with full-time jobs who also have side gigs. And the reasons vary from fulfilling the basic need of additional income to wanting to build a business to replace the full-time income. But there are also people who are looking to do something different and fulfilling in totally different ways. That's what led my friend, Evelyn Watts, to start her jewelry business, Wavy Nettles. In this episode, we explore some of the different aspects of the side gig and how to make it work.

Alex Keenan of Stage Light Communications is helping people step out of their comfort zone and take their place on stages of all kinds—in team meetings, boardrooms, and beyond. There’s a vulnerability to putting yourself out there, and some people never get over the nerves. But it is possible to get over the fright. In this episode, Alex and I chat about her work and the life-changing impact it’s had on some of her clients.

The theme for October has definitely been women helping women. My guest on this episode, Colleen Kanna, owner of COKANNA and a cancer survivor, wanted to give women going through breast cancer treatment the kind of clothing options that she struggled to find during her own treatments. It’s a powerful thing when women take on the problems we experience, because it means we can take the hard-earned lessons and wisdom we’ve learned and put it out in the world for others to benefit from.

Product designs from women are often inspired by personal wishes that can’t be found anywhere. That’s Sam Razzaghi’s story at a high level, but Sam is motivated by much more than wanting a more functional bag for the commute, as she shares in this episode.

For eight years, Lydia Di Francesco, a Stress-Reduced Fat Loss™ Practitioner, has worked in the wellness industry and built a successful business. Like so many business owners, though, she’s had her struggles. In this episode, Lydia shared what she’s learned about narrowing down her target market and the impact burnout had on her both personally and as a business owner.

Alina Fedorowicz, the brilliant artist behind Hipster Stitcher is relatively new to business, but she’s learned a lot in a short time (as so many business owners do) about how to navigate the world of locally made artisan creations. Her custom embroidery customers get to display unique pieces that have meaning to them, and Alina’s work is fulfilling because of the joy it brings her to express her creativity.

Bryn Bamber cares deeply about making a difference in the world and doing work that’s meaningful to her personally and to those she’s working with. As you’ll hear in her story, that sincere desire to do good can have consequences, especially when a perfectionist mindset takes over. Bryn shared how she worked through this challenge in her career and how it led her to start a business to help other women and non-binary people with similar struggles.

Jessica Keats is a self-proclaimed healer, consultant and secret weapon—titles she finally took ownership of not that long ago. Jessica's work has evolved significantly since she first started her business, though healing has always been at the centre of her work. These days, she's using her intuition to help people get on the path of what they were meant to do. As we talk about in this episode, it's not easy to accomplish that. Human beings are resistant to change, but being your authentic self and following your intuition can help you stay in flow.

It's not unusual for a business owner to have a passion for the work they do, but the root of that passion can be very personal. That's the case with Pamela George, a Financial Literacy and Credit Counsellor based in Ottawa. In this episode, Pam shares some of her personal money story and the motivation behind starting her business.

Karen Fiorini has had an interesting path to her current business and she kindly agreed to come on and talk about the transition and how she arrived at this new venture. I hope you enjoy hearing her story and how she’s helping others find their own success through her business, RF Success Academy.