The Finance Cafe

In this episode Shauna sits down with Shalini Dharna Kibsey, CPA, to discuss budgets, including her 5 essential tips for preparing your budget as an entrepreneur. Shalini is an exceptional coach who helps entrepreneurs understand and feel confident about their business future with a solid grasp of finances. She has helped hundreds of CEOs, small business owners and individuals level-up their finances through an array of seminars, interactive workshops and individual coaching. 

Shalini is a leading financial expert specializing in small business financial literacy. Having graduated from the University of Toronto and worked at the big firms, she eventually joined the family practice but on her own terms. She wanted education to be the forefront of her platform and has spent the past few years doing consultations and speaking engagements to entrepreneurs – new and seasoned – on how to understand the story their numbers are telling! Outside of work, she is mom to 3 boys, 2 furbabies and married to her university sweetheart. A surprising statistic shows that 2 out of 3 businesses operate without a budget; this episode will help you to not be a part of that statistic and gain control over your business finances. 

Resources

Episode Blog: https://thefinancecafe.ca/5-tips-preparing-your-budget/ 

Connect with Shalini

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shalinidharna/ 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/dharnacpa

Facebook:www.facebook.com/dharnacpa

Website:https://dharnacpa.ca

Sponsors

For more resources and information for women entrepreneurs be sure to connect to our incredible podcast sponsor the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub 

TD Bank in support of Small Business Week. 

Connect with Us

Website: thefinancecafe.ca/ 

Instagram: @thefinancecafeofficial 

LinkedIn: The Finance Cafe 

Learn more about our financial literacy program designed specifically for you and don’t forget to use code PODCAST10 to save 10% off at www.thefinancecafe.ca/   

In this episode Shauna sits down with Alison Kirkland, CEO, of the Women's Enterprise Organizations of Canada/Organisations d'enterprises de femmes du Canada, to discuss the perceptions of debt, and the key findings from the ‘Bootstrap vs Borrow’ research conducted by WEOC. 

A leader in the women’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, Alison was named the inaugural CEO of WEOC in September 2019. Since then, she has grown the organization from a Board-run initiative to an integral resource for women’s entrepreneurial support organizations across Canada. Forging long-lasting connections within government and industry, Alison leads from experience, with 20-plus years in communications management and a decade as a certified small business counselor. She has led the creation of comprehensive training programs and the development of innovative funding initiatives and has had the opportunity to share her knowledge and experiences with women entrepreneurs and organizations in the United States, Ukraine and Vietnam. Alison is the current Board Chair of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. 

Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada (WEOC) supports a diverse membership of organizations that directly impact the growth and success of women entrepreneurs. Representing an array of populations and regions, WEOC members support women entrepreneurs through a variety of initiatives, including business training, advising, financing, and mentorship. In addition to opportunities to network with peers across the country, WEOC members have access to an innovative library of tools and resources, as well as regular live and virtual cross-country events.

Resources

Episode Blog: https://thefinancecafe.ca/weoc-unpacking-perceptions-of-debt 

Bootstrap vs Borrow Document: https://weoc.ca/site-content/uploads/2022/11/WEOC_Bootstrap-or-Borrow_FINAL-EN.pdf#:~:text=Research%20from%20the%20field%20of%20behavioural%20economics%20makes,in%20light%20of%20key%20concepts%20from%20behavioural%20economics. 

Connect with WEOC

Twitter: https://twitter.com/weocanada 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-kirkland-208b5457 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weoc_oefc/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WEOCanada/ 

Website: www.weoc.ca 

Sponsor

For more resources and information for women entrepreneurs be sure to connect to our incredible podcast sponsor the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub 

Connect with Us

Website: thefinancecafe.ca/ 

Instagram: @thefinancecafeofficial 

LinkedIn: The Finance Cafe 

Learn more about our financial literacy program designed specifically for you and don’t forget to use code PODCAST10 to save 10% off at www.thefinancecafe.ca/   

In this episode Shauna sits down with Kayla Isabelle, Chief Executive Officer at Startup Canada, the gateway to Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, to discuss the top 5 indicators your startup is ready to go global. Startup Canada's mission is to connect Canada’s entrepreneurs with the tools, community, and support they need to start and build their businesses. They discuss what it means to go ‘global,’ what you should have in place in your business before looking to export, and key areas to assess if your company is ready to go global. 

Kayla has been recognized as a 2023 Globe and Mail Changemaker, 2023 Business Woman of the Year Finalist (Enterprise Leader), 2022 Top Forty Under 40 by the Ottawa Business Journal, and Ottawa Board of Trade, RBC’s 2022 Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards Finalist Social Change Award: National Impact, 2021 RevolutionHer™ "Impact in Leadership Award" winner, 2021 Woman of Inspiration “Authentic Leader Award” winner by the Universal Women’s Network, "Best Business Support Organization" by CanadianSME Magazine, StartupBeat’s 20 Under 50 Female Leaders In Tech, and is a 13x Award Winning IABC Leader, including “International Chapter of the Year” recipient in 2022. 

Resources

Episode Blog: https://thefinancecafe.ca/top-5-indicators-your-startup-is-ready-to-go-global   

Connect with Startup Canada

Startup Canada is the gateway to Canada's entrepreneurial ecosystem. We're here to connect entrepreneurs with the support, community, and tools they need to build a successful business in Canada. Since our inception in 2012, Startup Canada has grown to support more than 122,000 entrepreneurs annually and an ever-growing grassroots community network from coast to coast to coast. Through our flagship and digital programs, we provide guidance, eliminate barriers, and champion the needs of each and every entrepreneur to private and public sector partners. Startup Canada supports entrepreneurs in starting up and scaling up to ultimately make Canada the best place to start and build a business. For more information, visit https://www.startupcan.ca/. 

Startup Global: https://www.startupcan.ca/explore/startup-global/

Twitter: @Startup_Canada 

Instagram: @startupcanada

LinkedIn: Startup Canada

Facebook: Startup Canada

Sponsor

For more resources and information for women entrepreneurs be sure to connect to our incredible podcast sponsor the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub 

Connect with Us

Website: thefinancecafe.ca/ 

Instagram: @thefinancecafeofficial 

LinkedIn: The Finance Cafe 

Learn more about our financial literacy program designed specifically for you and don’t forget to use code PODCAST10 to save 10% off at www.thefinancecafe.ca/   

In this episode Shauna sits down with Maya Oreibi, a Financial Empowerment Consultant & Coach to discuss the three key ingredients to finding your voice in finance. Maya shares her journey into the entrepreneurship world and what two turning points led her there, key insights into the gender pay gap, how mindset plays into finaincial independance, and more.

Maya is a career coach and mentor who comes from a  investment consulting background of more than 15 years. she holds a bachelor in finance, an MBA and she is a CFA charterholder. She is a mother of two who built a successful career in a male dominated industry from scratch twice, immigrated to Canada and chose to make the beautiful city of Oakville Ontario her home. 

She now employs her extensive investment experience in empowering women take charge of their finances. Maya also pursued formal coaching education with Rayner institute in Alberta and became a licensed coach by the International coaching federation. 

She chose to leave her corporate job and listen to her entrepreneurial calling. She started her own consulting and coaching practice, Wayz, dedicated to empowering women take charge of their own lives, finances and careers. 

Resources

Episode Blog: https://thefinancecafe.ca/three-ingredients-to-finding-your-voice-in-finance 

Connect with Maya

Website: www.wayzcc.com 

LinkedIn: maha (maya) oreibi

Instagram: @wayz_coaching

Financial literacy free resources:

Free:  https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/programs/financial-literacy.html 

Free: https://www.securities-administrators.ca/investor-tools/understanding-your-investments/types-of-investments/ 

Free: https://www.getsmarteraboutmoney.ca/ 

Free: https://www.mymoneycoach.ca/resources/financial-calculators# 

Free: www.moneysense.ca 

Free: https://cfee.org/our-programs/?pillar=financial-capability 

Sponsor

For more resources and information for women entrepreneurs be sure to connect to our incredible podcast sponsor the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub 

Connect with Us

Website: thefinancecafe.ca/ 

Instagram: @thefinancecafeofficial 

LinkedIn: The Finance Cafe 

Learn more about our financial literacy program designed specifically for you and don’t forget to use code PODCAST10 to save 10% off at www.thefinancecafe.ca/   

In this episode Shannon sits down with Xina Cowan, Co-director, EntrepreNorth to discuss what it means to be culturally grounded as an organization, how we can close the wealth gap and empower Indigenous women entrepreneurs, challenges faced by Indigenous women entrepreneurs in the North, the need for relationship-based patient capital that aligns with Indigenous values, and how indigenous women are reclaiming their power and place.

Xina lives and works in Whitehorse on the traditional territories of the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council and the Kwanlin Dün First Nation. Her ancestry is Irish, Scottish, and Mohawk and she is honoured to be learning her family's shared histories. She is the granddaughter of Barbara Monture Malloch and the great-granddaughter of Gilbert 'Slim' Monture from Six Nations. After studying Human Relations at Concordia University in Montreal, Xina moved to the Eeyou Itschee Cree community of Wemindji in 2013 and began her career in Indigenous programming. Since then, Xina’s work has taken her all across the North. As EntrepreNorth’s Co-Director she is primarily responsible for leading Marketing and Communications, Community Outreach and Partnership Development. Xina is also a certified Coach and is the Host and Producer of EntrepreNorth's podcast series Venture Out which shares the brave stories of Northerners who are inspiring innovation and community wellbeing through business. ​

Prior to joining EntrepreNorth, Xina was the Development Manager for Indigenous projects at Youth Fusion and was the Editor of WIOT Magazine at Rezolution Pictures. Her (not so) side passion is promoting Indigenous fashion designers and artists. She is a Marketplace Jury Member for Indigenous Fashion Arts Festival (IFA) and is particularly invested in supporting the incredible talent coming from the Circumpolar Arctic.

EntrepreNorth is a project on MakeWay's shared platform that is focused on empowering Indigenous entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses and livelihoods across the North. We believe Northern Indigenous entrepreneurs can be catalysts of prosperity and drivers of social change within their own communities and much of our work supports them on that pathway.

Resources

Episode Blog: https://thefinancecafe.ca/womens-entrepreneurship-in-the-north/ 

Connect with Xina

Website: https://www.entreprenorth.ca/ 

Venture Out Podcast: https://www.entreprenorth.ca/venture-out-podcast.html 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entreprenorth/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EntrepreNorth/ 

Sponsor

For more resources and information for women entrepreneurs be sure to connect to our incredible podcast sponsor the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub 

Connect with Us

Website: thefinancecafe.ca/ 

Instagram: @thefinancecafeofficial 

LinkedIn: The Finance Cafe 

Learn more about our financial literacy program designed specifically for you and don’t forget to use code PODCAST10 to save 10% off at www.thefinancecafe.ca/   

In this episode Shannon sits down with Anita Pawluk, President at RaceRocks, to discuss her journey as an Indigenous business owner, being vulnerable as a leader, her relationship with money and money mindset, creating a company around diversity, equity and inclusion, plus more. Anita is a proud Métis woman from St Louis, Saskatchewan, Treaty 6 Territory and Homeland to the Métis on her Mother’s side and British and Scottish settlers on her Father’s side. Entrepreneurship has always been core to her professional journey, as shes’s owned companies in a range of industries such as clean energy, construction and storage. Financial acumen has always been one of her strengths, leading her to roles as Auditor, Controller and Chief Financial Officer. Now, as the President of RaceRocks, Anita is deeply honoured to lead her team, the RaceRocks team was recognized this year as Employer of the Year at BC’s region’s Technology Awards. 

Resources

Episode Blog: https://thefinancecafe.ca/how-to-sell-leading-edge-technology-when-its-not-yet-widely-adopted/ 

Connect with Anita

Webiste: https://racerocks3d.ca/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitapawluk321/ 

Sponsor

For more resources and information for women entrepreneurs be sure to connect to our incredible podcast sponsor the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub 

Connect with Us

Website: thefinancecafe.ca/ 

Instagram: @thefinancecafeofficial 

LinkedIn: The Finance Cafe 

Learn more about our financial literacy program designed specifically for you and don’t forget to use code PODCAST10 to save 10% off at www.thefinancecafe.ca/   

In this episode, Shannon sits down with Sage Lacerte, Founder of Sage Initiative, a national Indigenous womxn's impact investing collective. Sage is a Carrier womxn from the Lake Babine Nation, and lives in Victoria, BC on unceded Coast Salish Territory of the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ nations. They discuss why she chose to focus exclusively on investing in Indigenous-owned social purpose businesses, what ‘money is medicine’ means to Sage and for other Indigenous womxn, what she wishes more Indigenous womxn knew when it comes to money, how hard it is to change the system, and more.

Sage Initiative trains and empowers Indigenous womxn impact investors through a learning curriculum where participants can learn about Indigenous concepts of wealth and commerce through a trauma informed lens that addresses colonial relationships with money, as well as overlapping identities such as Indigeneity, gender, age, and sexuality. Sage Initiative aims to make capital available to Indigenous owned social purpose businesses, with the goal of forming a circular economy. 

Sage is also an Indigenous engagement strategist who is well-versed in gender policy, investment literacy, trauma-informed learning, and public speaking. She is a National Youth Ambassador for the Moosehide Campaign and holds a degree in gender studies from the University of Victoria. 

Resources

Episode Blog: https://thefinancecafe.ca/building-a-national-ecosystem-of-indigenous-womxn-impact-investors/

Connect with Sage

Instagram: @Sageinitiative_ 

Website: https://sageinitiative.ca/ 

Sponsor

For more resources and information for women entrepreneurs be sure to connect to our incredible podcast sponsor the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub 

Connect with Us

Website: thefinancecafe.ca/ 

Instagram: @thefinancecafeofficial 

LinkedIn: The Finance Cafe 

Learn more about our financial literacy program designed specifically for you and don’t forget to use code PODCAST10 to save 10% off at www.thefinancecafe.ca/   

In this episode, Shannon sits down with Bobbie Racette, the Founder and CEO of Virtual Gurus, a talent marketplace that leverages proprietary technology to match organizations and entrepreneurs with highly skilled Canadian and American fractional administrative workers. Forbes recently announced Virtual Gurus as one of the top 19 Innovative Tech Startups to watch. They discuss Bobbie’s journey as an entrepreneur, dealing with imposter syndrome, overcoming 170’s no’s while pitching before becoming the First Indigenous woman to close a Series A funding round, how to not lose sign of the vision of the business white bringing on investors, money mindset changes, and more.

Bobbie Racette is a visionary entrepreneur who has made a tremendous impact. As the Founder and CEO of Virtual Gurus and askBetty, she has built a reputation as a trailblazer who is committed to creating an equitable future for all. Driven by her unwavering mission, Bobbie has dedicated herself to empowering individuals from historically underrepresented communities and providing them with the opportunities, tools and resources they need to build successful careers.
For Bobbie, this mission is deeply personal. As a Cree-Metis woman, she knows firsthand the challenges that traditionally marginalized communities face in the workplace. She's seen how systemic barriers can prevent talented individuals from achieving their full potential, and she's determined to change that.
Under Bobbie's leadership, Virtual Gurus has become one of the fastest-growing virtual assistant companies in North America. Powered by innovative tech that harnesses the power of machine learning to match assistants with clients, she has created a thriving community of over 600 talented professionals from diverse backgrounds. Her innovative approach to talent acquisition and management has earned her numerous accolades, including the Indigenous Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2022.
Bobbie's passion for her work is contagious, and her commitment to equity and inclusion has inspired countless others to follow in her footsteps. In recognition of her achievements, she was named an EY Winning Woman in 2022, and she’s also a 2022 IWF Harvard Graduate. She's a sought-after speaker and thought leader, and she continues to use her platform to advocate for a more just and equitable future.
Whether it's Bobbie's dedication to empowering underrepresented communities by creating equitable opportunities or by providing accessible, affordable, and reliable staffing solutions to help level the playing field for entrepreneurs who might otherwise struggle to compete, Bobbie Racette is changing the game for entrepreneurs and employees alike.

Resources

Website: https://thevirtualgurus.com/ 

Episode Blog: https://thefinancecafe.ca/overcoming-170-nos/ 

Connect with Bobbie

Twitter: @Bobbie_Racette

LinkedIn: @Bobbie Racette

Sponsor

For more resources and information for women entrepreneurs be sure to connect to our incredible podcast sponsor the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub 

Connect with Us

Website: thefinancecafe.ca/ 

Instagram: @thefinancecafeofficial 

LinkedIn: The Finance Cafe 

Learn more about our financial literacy program designed specifically for you and don’t forget to use code PODCAST10 to save 10% off at www.thefinancecafe.ca/   

In this episode, Shauna sits down with Shashi Behl, the Owner & Founder of Joydrop, Partner & Co-founder of Fernweh, and Founder of Twisted Goods. Shashi shares tips and insights on how to prepare your retail business for the holiday season including how to prepare for the future sales wise, inventory insights, pricing strategies, and even marketing tactics. They also discuss tools, resources and groups that can be beneficial for retail owners. 

A passionate entrepreneur and strong advocate for women in business,  Shashi has championed women as Chair of AWE, Board Member of Futurpreneur and her current role on The51 Loan Advisory Committee and Board Member on Calgary Public Library Foundation.

She has been on the W100 profit list, P200 list, represented Canada at the G8 Young Business Summit, been awarded Calgary Leader of Tomorrow and last year Joydrop was named Independent Retailer of Year for Canada.     

Shashi has founded and partnered with various women-led businesses before opening Joydrop. She is inspired by the passion that goes into every design – pieces which are part of a much bigger, beautiful tapestry.

Shashi loves travelling with her family, meeting new people, road biking, practicing yoga, and reading.  Her motto is get comfortable with being uncomfortable and looks to have a YES moment in everyday!

Resources

Fundamentals for an Open To Buy: Listeners can reach out, via LinkedIn to Shashi at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shashi-behl-002b6b2b/  to receive more infomation on category buying and how that will help with their cash flow.

Open To Buy Definition and Formula for Retail Planning 2022 (shopify.com)

Retail Council of Canada Membership | Retail Council of Canada

Episode Blog: https://thefinancecafe.ca/preparing-your-retail-business-for-the-holiday-season/ 

Connect with Shashi & Joydrop 

LinkedIn: Shashi Behl | LinkedIn & Joydrop®: Overview | LinkedIn

Instagram:  joydrop.ca and shashiyyc

Facebook: joydrop.ca

Website: www.joydrop.ca   

Sponsor

For more resources and information for women entrepreneurs be sure to connect to our incredible podcast sponsor the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub 

Connect with Us

Website: thefinancecafe.ca/ 

Instagram: @thefinancecafeofficial 

LinkedIn: The Finance Cafe 

Learn more about our financial literacy program designed specifically for you and don’t forget to use code PODCAST10 to save 10% off at www.thefinancecafe.ca/   

In this episode Shauna sits down with Tanya Hilts, founder of Cloud Business Services, to discuss the importance of having accounting software as an entrepreneur and tips on how to effectively implement & manage it. Tanya shares what bookkeeping software is and what they do for your business, why bookkeeping software can be the best investment for entrepreneurs and how much it really costs, the difference between proactive and reactive bookkeeping, and of course her top 5 tips. 

As the founder of Cloud Business Services, Tanya has a passion for streamlining processes and increasing office efficiency and client outcomes. With a relentless vision to bring the very best tools to her team as well as the bookkeeping community in general. Tanya led her team to win the 2018 Global Intuit Firm of the Future. ​One of the most important core values of Cloud Business Services is the team’s belief in sharing knowledge and contributing to the community. Tanya is a volunteer mentor for bookkeepers within North America, helping to guide and shape tomorrow’s bookkeeping entrepreneurs.

Resources

Episode Blog: https://thefinancecafe.ca/5-tips-on-the-importance-of-accounting-software

Connect with Tanya 

Twitter: @1Cloudbiz

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/cloud-bookkeeping-services.ca/ 

Instagram:@1Cloudbiz

Facebook:@1Cloudbiz

Website:https://www.cloudbusinessservices.ca/ 

Sponsor

For more resources and information for women entrepreneurs be sure to connect to our incredible podcast sponsor the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub 

Connect with Us

Website: thefinancecafe.ca/ 

Instagram: @thefinancecafeofficial 

LinkedIn: The Finance Cafe 

Learn more about our financial literacy program designed specifically for you and don’t forget to use code PODCAST10 to save 10% off at www.thefinancecafe.ca/