What She Said!

From the early days of the pandemic, one thing was crystal clear; women and marginalized communities were being disproportionately affected. It was disheartening to see the loss of income, education, and advancement. But there was a bright spot, because women did what women do best - they pulled together, they got loud, and they demanded change. Support and advocacy groups popped up, feminism had fresh life pumped into it, and words like diversity, equity, and inclusion became part of our daily lexicon. Some women, like my two featured guests in this podcast, turned their advocacy into businesses. Allison Venditti from Moms at Work and Janelle Benjamin from All Things Equitable are leading the charge into our post-pandemic recovery and are joining me today to share their journeys and struggles. Joining me from RBC to share insights and advice are Erin Closs, VP of Commercial Banking and Erin Rennie-Aubuchon, Manager Business Markets.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrea Donsky joins me on behalf of New Roots Herbal. Canadians love their supplements spending nearly $80 million dollars every quarter on them, but many of us have no idea how they work once we swallow them. Andrea lays out all the ways you can get your supplements from orally to topically, and how they break down in your body.

Sarah Landstreet retired from engineering at the ripe old age of 23 and started a bakery in Northern Ireland to teach herself about business. She then enrolled at the Ivey Business School to complete her MBA before starting Georgette Packaging, a carbon neutral packaging company she runs today. Sarah joins me to share how she’s shaking things up in her industry.

Anne Brodie brought the goods this week with so many amazing movies and shows newly released we couldn’t get to them all. What I can tell you is that you won’t want to miss Slow Horses with Gary Oldman or Life & Beth with Amy Schumer on Disney+ but you’ll have to stick around for the rest because what a week!

Summer is just around the corner and thoughts are turning to summer holidays but not too far from home please. Some of us just aren’t ready for that leap yet. Thankfully Le Boat Vacations offers luxury houseboat holidays for around the price of a summer cottage rental. Lisa McLean. Marketing Manager for Le Boat in North America which is based on the UNESCO World Heritage Rideau Canal joins me to share details on this unforgettable summer vacay.

Since 2009, Water First has collaborated with over 50 Indigenous communities in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Labrador on a variety of water education and training projects. Bella McLeod is from Nipissing First Nation. A Water First intern training to become a Water Treatment Operator Bella is passionate about spreading awareness of how important it is to take care of this Earth and all her resources. She joins me to share her experience working with Water First.

Finally Elke Rubach from Rubach Wealth joins me to discuss planning for retirement around the income gap, which is admittedly something I hadn’t thought of before. Women need to plan differently than men to live a comfortable life in retirement and Elke wants to show us how.

Social:

Andrea Donsky for New Roots Herbal

Website: https://newrootsherbal.com/

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

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

Sarah Landstreet

Website: www.georgettepackaging.com

Instagram: Instagram.com/georgettepackaging

Facebook: Facebook.com/georgettepackaging

Other website: knowyourpackaging.com

Le Boat

Website: www.leboat.ca

Twitter: https://twitter.com/leboatvacations

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

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZNA2oxm2w36UZwRpfJ0tnxNGyYlZT4Dm

Water First

Website www.waterfirst.ngo

Twitter https://twitter.com/waterfirstngo

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

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

Elke Rubach

Website: https://www.rubachwealth.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rubachwealth

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

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kristina Lao and Raquelle Roodenburg from Bombshell Brunches, a community where women can access real people doing big things, making changes in their lives and taking strides in this complex world. Real, raw, and funny, these ladies keep it real. Strong believers in representation, social impact, and internal revolution, they LIVE to highlight, normalize and glamourize the many different ways to live a brave and full life.

Anne Brodie is here for a twofer again this week. First she joins me to share an abundance of new entertainment which includes a new series about Julia Child’s who blazed a trail for us all. Anne thinks tweenagers will rejoice with the return of Bridgerton on Netflix but I had to let her know that some of us older ladies are pretty happy about it too. Plus she doesn’t want us to miss out on Lizzo’s new Prime Video Series called Watch Out for the Big Grrrrrrls. Later on in the show, Anne comes back with an interview with HGTV Canada's renovation reality series star siblings Carolyn Wilbrink and Billy Pearson as they look under the floorboards and behind the walls with their spirit of design, redesign, and renewal and nail it every time on their series Farmhouse Facelift.

If you’ve been thinking about starting to run, now is the time says Christine Blanchette. The creator, producer, and host of Canada’s only running, fitness and health show, Run With It, Christine joins me with some tips for getting off the couch, the gear you need, and why now is the best time to hit the pavement.

To sleep perchance to dream, is something we all chase after but in these highly stressful times, sleep, especially a good sleep can be elusive. Adelina Doppler is the forward-thinking CEO behind Winkzzz, a Canadian-owned pillow, sleep, and wellness technology company who joins me now to share how Winkzzz is changing the way we rest our heads each night from copper infused pillows to mulberry silk covers, Winkzzz customizes your pillow based on an individual’s sleep habits.

Silver linings can be hard to find when trauma happens in our lives which is why Bernadette Erb is so inspiring. Bernadette suffered physical abuse in her home as a child, sexual abuse as a child and teen, and later in life received not one, but two cancer diagnoses. And yet, Bernadette says that each of those events forced her to find the Silver Linings. She joins me to discuss her new book available now.

Social

Bombshell Brunches

Website: https://bombshellbrunches.com/

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BombshellBrunches

Christine Blanchette

Website: www.runwithit.ca

Twitter: @christineruns

Instagram: @christineblanchette_tv

Facebook: @runwithit and @christineblanchette

LinkedIn: Christine Blanchette

Adelina Doppler

Website: www.winkzzz.com

Instagram: @winkzzzofficial

Farmhouse Facelift

Website: https://www.hgtv.ca/shows/farmhouse-facelift/

Bernadette Erb

Website: https://www.silverliningsheal.com/

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bernadette.erb.58

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Commissioner Kadie Ward joins me for the third installment of Level The Paying Field. Today we jump into the gender wage gap and how to close it for good. As usual, Kadie comes to the conversation armed with information you need to know so you can advocate for yourself.

Ageism is something we’re not talking about enough, especially when it comes to women in the workforce. Incredibly, in all of the discussions, webinars, research, white papers, and thought pieces that have been written about a ‘she-covery’ from the devastating impacts of COVID, not one piece, not one call to action, has identified the difficulties that women in this age group experience or will face. Karen Schulman Dupuis is a shift disturber on a mission to make this “invisible” group of women, highly visible to policy makers and joins me to today to discuss.

Anne Brodie has new entertainment with the disturbing Alice starring Keke Palmer, the absolutely bizarre life imitating art imitating life movie about the Tiger King and Carole Baskins on Showcase, We Crashed on Apple TV starring Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway, and the amazing Ava Duvernay’s now movie DMZ with Rosario Dawson on Crave.

Dr. Prachi Srivastava is back to continue our discussion on the education system. This week we take a closer look at financing education and what it will take to get kids back on track. Incredibly, Prachi shares that the government is underspending even when the dollars are there for them to disburse, plus she shares what the government needs to do to get kids caught up.

Jenelle Simpson, a senior law clerk, paralegal, motivational speaker, and life coach in Toronto joins me to share details on her first book, Commitment to a Deceitful Liar that offers a peek into her life, from being raised in a West Indian home with all its beliefs and myths to unlearning instilled toxic generational cycles and relearning how to move to new levels

Finally, Kelly Lavallie wants to save you money in your divorce. Her new book Untying the Knot, offers up handy strategies and preparatory tips for making sure each person gets the best settlement possible. She joins me to share a little bit of what people can expect in terms of costs if they are heading to divorce.

Social

Kadie Ward

Website: https://levelthepayingfield.ca/

https://www.payequity.gov.on.ca/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ontpayequity

https://twitter.com/OntPayEquityFR

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVX4QDmd2XR-LkPlbR7-63A

Karen Schulman Dupuis

Website: www.karensd.ca

Twitter: https://twitter.com/karensd

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

Dr. Prachi Srivastava

Website: https://www.edu.uwo.ca/faculty-profiles/prachi-srivastava.html

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PrachiSrivas

Jenelle Simpson

Website: https://www.jenellesimpson.com/

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

Kelly Lavallie

Website: https://www.lavallie.ca/

Instagram: https://www.lavallie.ca/

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kelly_lavallie

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ruslana Wrzesnewskyj, founder and driving force behind Help Us Help The Children (HUHTC) which as been helping orphans in Ukraine for 30 years now., Deeply passionate about saving Ukraine’s children and nurturing a new generation that will deliver a prosperous future for Ukraine. Ruslana has been working tirelessly the last two weeks to help all the orphanages she works with, and to find safe passage for the orphans they help. She joins me to share ways we can get involved.

Anne Brodie has the latest in entertainment this week with her thoughts on Wildwood with Michael Greyeyes, Phoenix Rising about Evan Rachel Wood’s abusive relationship with Brian Warner aka Marilyn Manson, and the much anticipated The Adam Project with Ryan Reynolds on Netflix. PLUS she’s back later in the show with an interview with the fabulous Cassandra Freeman from the new show Bel-Air based on the 90s comedy The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

The last couple of years have been filled with anger and divisiveness on just about everything in our society and it’s wearing us all down. In an attempt to turn things around and build community, Catherine Dunphy is asking people to look for the good all around them and #amplifykindness on social media whenever you see somebody being kind or alternatively when you do something kind. By shifting our focus to the helping instead of hurting, we can move together towards a brighter future.

Denise Chand from The Sacred Space joins me for the third instalment on getting your life unstuck. In this week’s interview we take a closer look at taking a closer look at ourselves. From processing disappointment to assessing our thoughts and behaviours, Denise shares why the biggest key to getting unstuck starts with

Betrayal, believe it or not, can be an opportunity and Stéphanie Rourke Jackson, founder of Beacon Coaching &Leadership is joining me today to discuss how. While admittedly there is pain when betrayal happens, Stephanie, through lived experience, wants you to know that you can move on together with the person who betrayed you and step into a better life together.

Social

Ruslana Wrzesnewskyj

Website: https://helpushelp.charity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helpushelp.charity/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/helpushelp.charity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/help-us-help-charity-3b36001b9/

Catherine Dunphy

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CADunphy

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

Denise Chand

Website: www.the-sacredspace.com/getunstuck

Twitter: https://twitter.com/chand_denise https://twitter.com/JenniferJohn

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisechand_clc/ https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjohn_clc/

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

Facebook: Single & Hating It

Facebook: With D&J

Stephanie Rourke Jackson

Website: www.beaconcoaching.ca

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

Facebook: Stephanie Dianne Jackson or Beacon Coaching & Leadership

LinkedIn: Stephanie Rourke Jackson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrea Horwath, leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party. Andrea joins me to discuss the issues that truly matter, no matter where you live. Child Care, education, women in the workforce and health care. Calm and measured, Andrea is worth listening to no matter where you sit on the political spectrum.

Anne Brodie has distractions galore with entertainment this week, and once again she joins us twice this week. Her regular Saturday night at the movies takes a look at yet another Batman iteration, as well as Dawn, Her Dad & the Tractor a timely film about a trans woman and the importance of allies. She joins us later in the show with a interview with Canadian actress Jennifer Spence who plays Kathy Torrance in BritBox’s Forensic Series Traces.

Just as we’re all starting to feel like we couldn’t possibly take another thing on our already full plates, tax season has arrived. Susan Watkin from TurboTax joins me today to share what we should be looking out for as we file this year, and how to get the most out of our returns. I love having Susan on the show, as she takes the fear of taxes away with sound advice.

Divorce in Canada is messy. Courts are overburdened and delays can cause everything from tension to rise between ex partners to devastating financial outcomes and sadly, even loss of life. Sarah Lawrynuik from CanadaLand joins me to share details on four cases she highlighted on a recent podcast, including a story from yours truly. If you’re heading into family court, you will definitely want to hear this one.

Finally Raeann Browne joins me to discuss her beautiful new book for children depicting the transformative dreams envisioned by a young Inuk girl with the help of her loving mother. A first time author from Newfoundland, Raeann joins me to discuss the importance of indigenous literature for children.

Social

Andrea Horwath

Website: https://www.ontariondp.ca/andrea

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OntarioNDP

Susan Watkin

Website: https://turbotax.intuit.ca/tax/software

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/turbotaxcanada

Sarah Lawyrnuik

Podcast: https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/754-will-you-be-my-ex-canadas-broken-divorce-system/

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CANADALAND

Raeann Browne

Website: INUKYGLASSART.ECWID.COM

Instagram: Inuky_glass_art

Facebook: www.facebook.com/inukyglassart

Tiktok: @inukyglassartnengraving

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If there is one thing that most female entrepreneurs can agree on its that your network truly is your net worth when it comes to forging a successful path in business. And while it’s not always the case, that network is primarily comprised of other women because we get it. We understand gender bias and other struggles that only women face when it comes to entrepreneurship. When covid struck, many of us were cut off from our networks and that innate need for social interaction and camaraderie went untapped, that is until Strike Up Canada launched. The little tiny online conference that could, was only meant to reach a provincial audience but ended up attracting 3000 women around the globe in its first year, fulfilling a need for connection and learning. This year Strike Up is back on March 3 and is ENTIRELY FREE TO ATTEND. The line up of women speaking are to put it simply, wonder women. Amber Mac, Joanna Griffiths, Jenn Harper and Teara Fraser are but a few of the featured speakers. Today I’m joined by two of the featured speakers, Robin Kovitz, President and CEO of Baskits Inc. and Rachel Lambo, Founder and CEO of Sade Baron. I’m also joined by Devon Girard who for the last two years has pulled Strike Up together. Over the next half hour, we dive into gender bias for female entrepreneurs, some tips for getting around it, and the elusive quest for balance. These three incredible women are not gatekeepers of information, and open up about all aspects of their entrepreneurial journey, so take the time to learn from these amazing women, and when we’re done here head on over and sign up for Strike Up Canada.

Rachel Lambo

https://www.sadebaron.com/

Robin Kovitz

https://baskits.com/

Devon Girard

https://strikeup.ca/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caryma Sa'd who has been on the ground in Ottawa, sharing stories and news from the occupation there since it began on January 28th. Caryma has been documenting COVID-denialism since 2021, and knew that she had to be on the ground to document the Ottawa Occupation in real time. Her coverage, largely shared on Twitter has resulted in a dedicated following of people who want to know more on everything from the absurd Queen of Canada, to the disturbing organizers with a white supremacist agenda to people there for the party.

Thankfully we always have Anne Brodie to bring us new escapism weekly in the form of new movies and television series. This week, Anne has deets on the new Will Smith series that reimagines his game-changing comedy series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in his new series Bel-Air and its worlds away from the superficiality of the original, steeped in realism and intense drama. Plus she shares details on Apple TV+ 's four-part docuseries Lincoln's Dilemma and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel S4 available on Prime Video.

Commissioner Kadie Ward from Ontario’s Pay Equity office back for Part 2 in their series on a woman’s worth and this month we’re taking a closer look at the care economy and how valuing care can support economic recovery.

Language can be powerful, and often times it just takes small tweaks in the verbiage to change minds. That’s what June Findlay shares from an recent interview she conducted with Stephen Dorsey, author of Black and White: An Intimate, Multicultural Perspective on White Advantage and the Paths to Change. By changing the phrase “white privilege” to “white advantage”, Stephen received a much stronger buy in from people formerly opposed to the concept of systemic racism. June joins me to discuss.

Finally Apryll Aileen is here to share why she was inspired to write her new song “Wasted On Your Love”, an upbeat dance track inspired by the pop melodies of early Madonna, a splash of Britney and the synth bass production vibes of Canadian icon, The Weekend. Apryll shares the why behind the song before we end the show with her new release.

Social

Caryma Sa’d

Website: https://www.carymarules.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarymaRules

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caryma.sad008

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caryma-sad/

Kadie Ward

Website: https://levelthepayingfield.ca/

https://www.payequity.gov.on.ca/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ontpayequity

https://twitter.com/OntPayEquityFR

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVX4QDmd2XR-LkPlbR7-63A

June Findlay

Website: https://about.me/junefind

Twitter: https://twitter.com/missladyniobe

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/june-findlay/

Apryll Aileen

Website: https://www.apryllaileen.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ApryllAileen

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week my first guest is Dr. Prachi Srivastava, who will be joining me monthly until June to discuss the state of education in Ontario. Prachi will be sharing facts and data on everything from financing to school governance, and how it impacts the education our kids receive. In June, we’ll take a look at each political parties education platform and how it will move the needle or not. Today we talk about equity issues in the public system and three ways we can improve education for everyone.

Anne Brodie joins us twice on this week’s show. First up, Anne is back for our weekly round up of new movies and shows which includes Parallel Mothers with Penelope Cruz, Johnny Depp in Minamata, and Liam Neeson doing what Liam Neeson does best, kicking butt and taking names in Blacklight.

Devon Girard is one of the incredible women behind the curtain at Northumberland CFDC helping to pull together Strike Up 2022, a virtual conference connecting women entrepreneurs across Canada to one another. Devon joins me now to share what we can expect from this conference that blew everyone away last year with its incredible lineup and topics.

Jane Rusciolelli is an elementary school teacher who specializes in Health and Physical Education. She is also the author of The Great I Am for kids that provides Daily affirmations for kids designed to affirm, inspire and honour their true GREATNESS! Jane joins me now to share the why behind her book and how it’s helping kids everywhere embrace their inner greatness from A to Z.

Finally, it’s a rarity to have a gentleman join us here on What She Said but I will always make an exception for someone like Colin Mochrie. A true Canadian icon, Colin has been making Canadians laugh for decades now, and joins Anne Brodie to discuss his newest venture on Amazon Prime called Last One Laughing.

Social

Dr. Prachi Srivastava

Website: https://www.edu.uwo.ca/faculty-profiles/prachi-srivastava.html

Twitter: @PrachiSrivas

Other: http://covid19schooldashboard.com

Devon Girard

Website www.strikeup.ca

Twitter: @StrikeUPCanada

Instagram: @strikeupcanada

Facebook: @strikeupcanada

Jane Rusciolelli

Twitter: @JaneRusciolelli1

Instagram: @the_great_i_am_kids

Facebook: @theGREATIAmforKids

E-mail: [email protected]

YouTube: The GREAT I Am for Kids!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Allison Venditti from Moms at Work who how the Moms at Work job board offers employers the opportunity to showcase their policies, benefits, and cultures, and how they support working families and advance women’s careers.

Seanna Thomas from Hockey Snacks is here with budget friendly solutions for keeping the bottomless pits AKA your kids, well fed with nutritious eats that won’t break your bank account.

Anne Brodie joins me with two can’t miss documentaries for Black History Month, which include One Thousand Years, the Untold Story on the Smithsonian Channel and Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America available on HotDocs. She also has a new series you’ll need your brain for on Apple TV+ called Suspicion and one you can turn your brain off for on Netflix called Murderville. Finally, the best of the week goes to Tiffany Haddish on The Afterparty available now on AppleTV.

Jennifer John from The Sacred Space is back with the second in our 12 part series to help women get unstuck so they pursue the life they deserve. Today we take a closer look at what it feels like being stuck, how to uncover the reasons, and more importantly how to begin changing things for the better.

I had so much fun with Haley McGee, author of The Ex-Boyfriend’s Yard Sale available now online and in bookstores everywhere, that I asked her to come back closer to Valentine’s Day with tips for not just surviving but THRIVING as a single person through what many feel is the worst holiday every.

Finally, Tara McKenna author of a new book called DON’T BE TRASHY, takes us through some of what you can expect when you pick it up which includes reducing your waste month by month, including a No Buy Month, an #OutfitRepeater Month devoted to developing a sustainable capsule wardrobe, and a month devoted to decluttering and minimalism at home.

Social

Allison Venditti:

Website: https://thisismomsatwork.com/

Twitter: @momsat_work

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MomsAtWork1/

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

Seanna Thomas

Website: www.hockeysnacks.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/fuelmorewins

Instagram @hockey_snacks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/hockeysnacks

Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/fuelmorewins

Jennifer John

Website: www.the-sacredspace.com/getunstuck

Twitter: https://twitter.com/chand_denise https://twitter.com/JenniferJohn

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisechand_clc/ https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjohn_clc/

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

Facebook: Single & Hating It

Facebook: With D&J

Haley McGee

Website: www.haleymcgee.ca

Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeshaleymcgee

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

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

Tara McKenna

Website: https://www.thezerowastecollective.com/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zero.waste.collective/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices