First off, Happy New Year! Welcome to 2018! Something big is happening for That's So Maven!

That's So Maven! is now live on Patreon. 

If you're not sure what Patreon is, click the link above and check it out. It's an amazing way to support creators, and it functions a lot like a monthly subscription - in this case, to the podcast. 

Many think That's So Maven! is my job, but that's not the case! Like everyone on the show, I am an entrepreneur, and I donate all the time required to create That's So Maven! every week - between 15-18 hours per week, with a total of over 1,000 hours donated so far. 

Please check out the Patreon page to learn more, and to become a patron of the show. If you can't support the show financially, you can still help in a huge way by sharing the Patreon campaign on all your social media! I would be oh so grateful!

And now, back to our regularly scheduled blog....

This week, I sat down with Claire Theaker-Brown to have an open and in-depth discussion about the process of rebranding your business. Claire is the owner of Unbelts, which completed its rebrand in July of 2017 after many years of operating as Flatter:Me Belts (the name of her business at the time of her last interview on That's So Maven!) 

You can listen to our chat here:

You can also tune in and subscribe on iTunes and Google Play! 

All photography by Andrea Beça.

That's So Maven! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB Financial. The network is growing as we speak, so make sure you check out all of the local podcasts who are a part of it!

Thank you so much for tuning in to this week's deep dive! Next week, we're continuing on the tour of Calgary I took last month and meeting Kourtney Branagan of Agnes in August, to talk string art, mountains, and being an entrepreneur in Calgary. 

See you next week!

Andrea

This week, I sat down with Ashley Janssen, who co-owns Code and Effect, a software and app development company, with her husband, Dana. They've been in business together for a long time, and faced many huge challenges, from a full rebrand to a cancer diagnosis and beyond.

Listen to our chat here:

You can also tune in and subscribe on iTunes and Google Play!

All photography by Andrea Beça Work.

That's So Maven! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB Financial. The network is growing as we speak, so make sure you check out all of the local podcasts who are a part of it!

Thank you so much for tuning in! Just like that, we've reached the last episode of 2017. I don't think it would be possible to truly express my gratitude to everyone who has been on the show, and to everyone who has listened. There are big things coming in 2018, and I am very, very excited to share them with you very soon! 

Next week, we'll be re-joined by Claire Theaker-Brown, owner of Unbelts (formerly Flatter:Me Belts), for a deep dive into rebranding - what it takes, the risks, the costs, and everything in between! I'll also have a very exciting announcement for you then. For now, my lips are sealed!

See you next week! 

Andrea

This week, I sat down with Kristen Dyck, our very first Calgary guest, and owner of AVRO Creative. We met at ATB X, where Kristen's business is part of an entrepreneur accelerator program, to talk about personal brand strategy, starting a business after having a baby, and what the entrepreneur community in Calgary is like.

Listen to our chat here:

You can also tune in and subscribe on iTunes and Google Play!

All photography by Andrea Beça Work.

That's So Maven! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB Financial. The network is growing as we speak, so make sure you check out all of the local podcasts who are a part of it!

Thank you so much for tuning in! Next week, we're back in Edmonton to meet Ashley Janssen, co-owner of Code and Effect, to hear about what it's like to run a tech business as a femme in a heavily male-dominated industry. 

See you next week!

Andrea

This week, I sat down with Alyson Connolly, who started out as an actor before returning to school (28 years later) for a Master's degree and becoming a voice and public speaking coach.

Listen to our chat here:

You can also tune in and subscribe on iTunes and Google Play!

All photography by Andrea Beça Work.

That's So Maven! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB Financial. The network is growing as we speak, so make sure you check out all of the local podcasts who are a part of it!

Thank you so much for tuning in! Next week, we've got something exciting happening - my first foray (finally!) outside of Edmonton. I'll be chatting with Kristen Dyck, personal branding and communications strategist and owner of AVRO Creative, based in Calgary, Alberta. I'm very interested to meet and hear about the journey of someone from outside of the show's city of origin.

See you next week!

Andrea

This week, I sat down for a second time with Sylvia Cheverie, co-owner of Chartier, to talk about using crowdsourcing as market research for opening a business, and about the many intricacies of opening a bricks and mortar business. (Check out Sylvia's first interview from last year here!)

It was an open and honest conversation (financing isn't easy and unexpected costs always arise!) and I hope it's helpful for anyone out there who is looking to open a physical shop, restaurant, cafe, etc.!

Photo by Andrea Beça Work.

Listen to our chat here:

You can also tune in and subscribe on iTunes and Google Play!

Photo by Andrea Beça Work.

That's So Maven! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB Financial. The network is growing as we speak (it's past 30 member now!!), so make sure you check out all of the local podcasts who are a part of it!

Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode of That's So Maven! Next week, we'll be meeting someone whose career is centred on something that scares so many of us: public speaking! Tune in to meet Alyson Connolly. 

See you next week!

Andrea

This week, I sat down with Nicole Perry, Feminist Counsellor Edmonton, to talk about what it's like to run a private psychology practice, and how she's learned to create and maintain the boundaries that are crucial both to her field of work, and to life as an entrepreneur. 

Listen to our chat here:

You can also tune in and subscribe on iTunes and Google Play!

All photography by Andrea Beça Work.

That's So Maven! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB Financial. The network is growing as we speak, so make sure you check out all of the local podcasts who are a part of it!

Thank you so much for tuning in! Next week, I'm very excited to share that we'll be taking our second deep dive with a past guest from the show - a deep dive into opening a bricks and mortar location (and crowdsourcing) with Sylvia Cheverie, co-owner of Chartier. 

See you next week!

Andrea

This week, I sat down with Navin Sidhu, who launched Fab Hab about a year and a half ago after studying and working as a civil engineer.

Listen to our chat here:

You can also tune in and subscribe on iTunes and Google Play!

All photography by Andrea Beça Work.

That's So Maven! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB Financial. The network is growing as we speak, so make sure you check out all of the local podcasts who are a part of it!

Thank you so much for tuning in this week! Next week, we're moving from interior design to psychology, to learn what it's like to run your own practice from Nicole Perry, Feminist Counsellor Edmonton.

See you next week!

Andrea

This week, I sat down with photographer and mental health advocate Blake Loates, to talk about her journey with mental illness and entrepreneurship, and how she's brought her multiple passions together into one successful business.

Listen to our chat here:

You can also tune in and subscribe on iTunes and Google Play!

Photo by Blake Loates

Photo by Blake Loates

Photo by Blake Loates

Portraits of Blake by Andrea Beça Work.

That's So Maven! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB Financial. The network is growing as we speak, so make sure you check out all of the local podcasts who are a part of it!

You may have also noticed a slight change in how the podcast was introduced on this episode. 

I've been wanting to make this change for a long time, and have finally done it. The word "female," which was originally chosen for the podcast's tagline simply because it rolled off the tongue well, isn't representative of the inclusivity I want this show to have. This new tagline embodies the show - and my values - much more accurately. 

The future isn't male or female, the future is inclusive. 

Thank you so much for tuning in to this week's episode of the show. Next week, we'll meet Navin Sidhu, who took her degree in civil engineering and turned it into a career in interior design with her company, Fab Hab.

See you next week!

Andrea

This week, I sat down with Alana Everett-Yim, who has been running her business, Woodbridge Communications, for 20 years. It was fantastic to talk to someone with so much experience, both in business and in motherhood, who was willing to really open up about, well...everything!

Listen to our chat here: 

You can also tune in and subscribe on iTunes and Google Play!

All photography by Andrea Beça Work.

That's So Maven! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB Financial. The network is growing as we speak, so make sure you check out all of the local podcasts who are a part of it!

Thank you so much for tuning in to the show this week! Next week, we'll be meeting Blake Loates, who is not only an incredible photographer, but a powerful and passionate advocate for mental health. 

See you next week!

Andrea

This week, I sat down with Danica LeBlanc, co-owner of Variant Edition Comics and Culture, to talk about what it's like to be a woman in the comic world, what it's like to run a business with your partner, and more. 

Listen to our chat here:

You can also tune in and subscribe on iTunes and Google Play!

All photography by Andrea Beça Work.

That's So Maven! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB Financial. The network is growing as we speak, so make sure you check out all of the local podcasts who are a part of it!

Thanks so much for tuning in! Next week, we're moving from new in the business to seasoned pro, when I chat with Alana Everett-Yim, who has been running Woodbridge Communications for 20 years now. 

See you next week!

Andrea