Startup Women Podcast

When founders think about marketing, they often begin to visualize their websites, and social media pages but it is equally important to think about who you are, who you want to be and how you will show up for customers once they find you. 

Meaghan and Marie Wright are twin sisters and co-founders of Mirror Image Media, a full-service video production company based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They wear many hats as directors, cinematographers and editors and know that their brand and customer experience is deeply felt and celebrated because of who they are as humans, first. Kelsey Reidl is a Business and Marketing Coach and the Founder and Chief Visonary Officer of Visonary Inc, helping her clients define and attract their dream clients. In this episode, we learn about authentic storytelling and its longstanding roots in the world of marketing.

The post How To: Marketing and PR with Meaghan and Marie Wright and Kelsey Reidl first appeared on Startup Canada.

When we sell a product or service, what we are really selling is an experience, feeling, or the desired outcome. Selling is a skill built on listening, emotional intelligence, and being of service to your clients and connections.

Sheen Brady is the Founder and Tea Sommelier of Tease, a well-loved line of natural and botanical wellness teas that benefit the planet and those who drink them while funding entrepreneurship and mentorship programs for ambitious women. Sheena and Tease recently went through a rebrand – something that made her rethink who she sells to, why she sells, and how she goes about doing it. Patti Pokarchak is an award-winning marketing and sales coach, who believes you can learn to sell and that being an extrovert isn’t a requirement to be able to do it well. Instead, we learn that selling is about practice, confidence and human-to-human relationships. 

Guests:

Sheena Brady  is the Founder and Tea Sommelier of Tease, a well loved line of natural and botanical wellness teas that benefit the planet and those who drink them while funding entrepreneurship and mentorship programs for ambitious women. 

Patti Pokarchak is an award winning marketing and sales coach and Adjunct Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University)   

Resources:

Startup Canada Business Owners Tool Box: Sales and Marketing

The post How To: Sales and Sell with Sheena Brady and Patti Pokorchak first appeared on Startup Canada.

The topic of funding is one commonly associated with stress and anxiety for founders – but it doesn’t need to be. Financing your business is an exercise rooted in patience, planning, and purpose. It’s a unique opportunity to imagine, and reimagine, what our ventures can and should look like in the future.  

Richa Gupta is the Founder of Good Food For Good – a CPG venture focused on crafting organic and refined sugar, soy, corn syrup, gluten, dairy, and preservative-free products and has bootstrapped her business from the beginning but she is ready to explore bringing in funding partners. Marissa Bronfman, a serial entrepreneur, impact investor and former CBO of Kizmet Impact Capital knows entrepreneurs can feel hesitant when it comes to VC funding, but through her expertise and experience she hopes founders can grow their business through funding and feel confident that what their blood, sweat and tears have built isn’t given up through a funding partnership. 

Resources from this Episode: 

The post How To: Fund Your Business with Richa Gupta and Marissa Bronfman first appeared on Startup Canada.

Hiring is so important for a venture’s success, yet the search for talent is a gargantuan challenge for most founders. Business owners need strong processes and a map to make sure their teams survive and thrive. Entrepreneurs must think of culture as a code, one that is built with intention while leaving room for behaviours and methods to reveal themselves organically.

Erin Stephenson, COO and CMO  of DOZR makes sure she hires for culture and includes folks who believe in the work DOZR does – a great practice case study to discuss the ins and outs of HR and Hiring. Jamie Savage of The Leadership Agency, an expert helping build the teams of today’s greatest startups, explores Erin’s experience with us to uncover how women entrepreneurs can make sure their HR and Hiring gestures are done right.

Guests:

Erin Stephenson is the COO and CMO of DOZR, the largest online equipment rental marketplace. 

Jamie Savage is the CEO and Founder of The Leadership Agency, on a mission to find and hire the best talent for the fastest-growing startups.

Resources:

The post How To: HR and Hiring with Erin Stephenson & Jamie Savage first appeared on Startup Canada.

Mentorship is a relationship built on trust, active listening and respect. It allows founders to navigate their unique situations with guidance, allowing them to notice their inner wisdom, trust their own intuition and arrive at solutions that lead them to new growth.  

Karen Danudjaja, who owns and operates a line of plant based, ethically sourced and organic blends, discusses the ups and downs of her mentorship journey – it’s an example we can all learn from. Paulina Cameron, a community builder who started Canada’s largest women’s mentorship program, draws on Karen’s experience to illustrate principles and tactics that will set us up to achieve our mentorship goals.

Guests:

Karen Danudjaja is the Founder and CEO of Blume, a line of plant based, ethically sourced and organic blends.

Paulina Cameron is the Founder and CEO of The Forum, a program that exists to leave no women behind.

Resources:

The post How To: Mentorship with Paulina Cameron & Karen Danudjaja first appeared on Startup Canada.

Vivian Kaye is the Founder & CEO of KinkyCurlyYaki, a premium textured hair extension brand for Black women that she bootstrapped to over $6 million in revenue as an immigrant, college dropout and single mom. 

As a self proclaimed Gary Vee meets Oprah remix, Vivian is also a business and empowerment expert, as well as a TV, radio and podcast personality. 

Through her magnetic energy, Vivian empowers, uplifts and educates her audience into taking action.

 “As an entrepreneur you want resilience and strength. Well, when you are down – that is what gives you that strength.”

On this week’s Startup Women Podcast, sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada and Scotiabank, Vivian provides us with the inspiration we need to keep going and shares why solving a problem and finding a niche can be the difference for your business. 

The post Trusting Yourself to Find What is Possible with Vivian Kaye first appeared on Startup Canada.

Chelsea is a Regional Manager for the Client Diversity Team at BDC. Her mandate is to ensure that BDC’s portfolio is reflective of Canada’s population. Her goal is to provide all diverse entrepreneurs across the country particularly black entrepreneurs with the tools they need to access the right financing, people and programs to successfully grow their business.

As a woman of Afro-Caribbean descent who is the product of a business leader and a serial entrepreneur, Chelsea understands the hurdles faced while running a business as a person of color. She wants to help these business owners navigate the complex entrepreneurial ecosystem and discover new market opportunities. Chelsea believes in equitable entrepreneurship, and endeavors to help diverse entrepreneurs build generational wealth and break down systemic barriers.

 Chelsea encompasses an eclectic professional and entrepreneurial background with a deep commitment to empowering and mobilizing communities, specifically youth, women and systemically excluded entrepreneurs. Before joining BDC, Chelsea was the Country Director for WeConnect International helping Canadian women-owned businesses connect with large corporate buyers and grow internationally.

“This isn’t a job for me. This is an opportunity to help elevate my community and help them build their own tables.” 

On this week’s Startup Women Podcast, sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada and Scotiabank, Chelsea Prescod shares the barriers Black entrepreneurs face and how the work she is leading is building equitable entrepreneurship in Canada.   

The post Building Equitable Entrepreneurship in Canada with Chelsea Prescod first appeared on Startup Canada.

Mystery Furtado is the mother of two energetic and vibrant African Kings by the names of Kade and Kylem. She is an internationally trained Nurse, currently preparing to sit the RN Nclex exam. Mystery is passionate about Diabetes management and prevention which is why she formed a not for profit called Type Diabeat It; which is the first BIPOC led Diabetes Organization in Southwestern Ontario. This role led her to starting the first BIPOC community Garden in London Ontario which has now grown into a Green House Project. 

Mystery was featured this year in the London Business Magazine; Twenty in their TWENTY’S as she also started Granny P’s, a small business that produces Sea Moss products. Her passion for health and wellness drove her to create a brand she could share her grandmother’s recipes through.

“13.3% of all Ontarians suffer from some level of food insecurity. Yes, we are primarily addressing the BIPOC community, but this stat reflects all Canadians. This impacts all of us.” 

On this week’s Startup Women Podcast, sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada and Scotiabank, Mystery talks about health inequities for BIPOC communities across Canada, volunteer coordinating, and her incredibly impactful journey.

The post Fighting Health Inequities Through Community with Mystery Furtado first appeared on Startup Canada.

Patricia Bebia Mawa is the Executive Vice President of Silvertrust Media and Afroglobal Television. Patricia is also the host of Planet Africa, a weekly series on OMNI TV that covers topics that interest, affect and challenge African Canadian communities.

She has directed and produced over fifteen television programs including The Visionaries, The Golden Button and Standing Ovation. Patricia is the writer and director of Omobella Palace, a new drama series on Afroglobal Television, which can be viewed on Rogers Cable, Bell Fibe, Eastlink and Telus. She is also the Associate Publisher of Excellence, Envision and Destiny Magazines. In 2008 her own Silvertrust Media company, introduced the Discover magazine series, which has since released over 20 titles and editions.

Who’s Who in Black Canada lists Patricia as a recipient of the Toronto Police Community Service Award, the International Women Achievers Award, the Martin Luther King DreamKeeper Award and a Queen Elizabeth’s 11 Diamond Jubilee Medal. Patricia has also co-founded the Crossover Mentorship Program, a youth empowerment initiative. In 2018, Patricia co-authored the 150 Extraordinary Canadians Legacy book, with a foreword by the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada and in 2020, Patricia was appointed chair of the Reelworld Screen Institute. 

“Our work is not only inspiring and entertaining for our people – it also holds others, including corporations, accountable.” 

On this week’s Startup Women Podcast, sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada and Scotiabank, Patricia shares tips for getting tv coverage, funding in entertainment, and why demographic-specific content is vital for community empowerment!

The post Empower & Include: Shaping Modern Media with Patricia Bebia Mawa first appeared on Startup Canada.

Nadia is the Co-Founder and COO of Marlow, a new FemTech start-up that has developed the first-ever lubricated tampon kit. 

Previously, Nadia worked as a management consultant at KPMG where she worked across a number of Fortune 500 retail clients. Nadia is committed to giving back to her community through her role as a catalyst board member at Holland Bloorview Children’s Hospital and as a mentor for the Junior Achievement Company Program where she provides weekly coaching to high school students as they operate their own small businesses.

In November of 2021, Nadia was one of four winners of our Canada and Israel joint pitch competition, recognizing Marlow for its commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Nadia has spoken at universities across Canada to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing her guitar, and spending time outside biking, hiking, and backcountry camping. 

“It’s important to get comfortable making decisions with imperfect information as an entrepreneur.” 

On this week’s Startup Women Podcast, sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada and Scotiabank, Nadia Ladak shares how the Marlow team is erasing the stigma associated with menstruation, and why their product belongs in the wellness and health space. 

The post Innovation in FemTech: Menstruation with Marlow with Nadia Ladak first appeared on Startup Canada.