The Brand is Female (The Brand is Female)

Caitlin Cronenberg, 34, is a Toronto-based celebrity photographer and director whose editorial work has appeared on the cover of Vogue, W Magazine, Variety and more. She has photographed Hollywood’s leading actors and actresses and is a fixture on TIFF’s red carpet every year. In 2016 she shot the album cover for Drake's "Views" which became a viral sensation. Caitlin’s most recent book, “The Endings” was released in September 2018; it is a beautiful collection of photographs and stories about love, heartbreak and loss. Actresses Julianne Moore, Keira Knightley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sofia Boutella, Nina Dobrev, Tessa Thompson and more appear in “The Endings”, a collaboration with Art Director Jessica Ennis. In this first episode of The Brand is Female, Caitlin talks about the early days of her career as a photographer, what keeps her motivated, how becoming a mom to her son Wolfy, now 3, has shaped who she is today (including her secret baking skills!) and she tells us about her experience working on “The Endings” — a labour of love that was 7 years in the making.

Melanie Joly was 34 when she ran for mayor in Montreal's municipal elections (she came in close second at the polls) and was 36 when she was elected to the House of Commons and named Minister of Heritage Canada by Justin Trudeau. She is a born leader and visionary who is not afraid of tackling difficult issues. In this episode of The Brand is Female she speaks to Host Eva Hartling about what got her inspired to start a career in politics, how she relies on her intuition as a guiding force today, her views on leadership... and her boss’ leadership style (that would be the Prime Minister of Canada!) and how being a young woman in politics—or in a boardroom—comes with its own set of challenges.

Voici un épisode bonus de The Brand is Female réalisé en français avec Mélanie Joly, Ministre des langues officielles, du tourisme et de la francophonie du Canada. Mélanie Joly avait 36 ans lorsqu’elle a été élue représentante parlementaire, et 34 ans lorsqu’elle s’est présentée comme candidate à la mairie de Montréal. Femme inspirante, Mélanie est une leader née qui ne s’est jamais laissée abattre par les obstacles rencontrés sur son parcours, en affaires ou en politique. Cette entrevue a été réalisée au Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, là où Mélanie a fondé le premier comité de jeunes philanthropes en soutien à l’organisation il y a plus de dix ans. En conversation avec Eva Hartling, fondatrice de The Female Leads, Mélanie y retrace ses débuts en politique, et s’entretient au sujet du leadership (le sien et celui de son patron, Justin Trudeau, premier ministre du Canada), de la question du doute, des changements dans sa vie alors qu’elle débute la quarantaine et de ce qui l’attend au cours des prochaines années, dans sa vie personnelle et professionnelle.

Our fourth episode of The Brand is Female features global (and self-made) restaurateur Janet Zuccarini, who started with one restaurant in Toronto and grew her business to include 8 companies today.

Janet owns the Gusto 54 Global Restaurant Group and is the mastermind behind Toronto’s well-known eateries Trattoria Nervosa (her first restaurant), Gusto 101, Kiin, Pai and Chubby’s; she also opened Italian restaurant Felix in LA in 2017 which Esquire Magazine deemed "America's Best New Restaurant” — no small feat for a restaurant owner from Toronto. She speaks to Host Eva Hartling about the challenges she has faced throughout her career, what has kept her motivated to continue building her empire and how she stays grounded and balanced despite her demanding schedule (hint: it includes daily meditation and a hot meal!).

Our guest on this 5th episode of The Brand is Female is fierce female entrepreneur Sophie Boulanger, CEO and founder of BonLook, the Canadian answer to Warby Parker launched in 2010 with a disruptive direct-to-consumer business model for prescription eyewear frames and lenses. BonLook now operates more than 30 stores across Canada (their goal is to get to 50 by 2020) and has caught the attention of investors who have rewarded the Montreal-based company with substantial capital support.
Sophie speaks to Host Eva Hartling about her journey as an entrepreneur, the BonLook story, the obstacles she encountered on her entrepreneurial journey and shares what she thinks of being a leader. If you’re passionate about consumer goods and stories of business growth, you’ll love this show.

Our guest on this 6th episode of The Brand is Female is Canadian style powerhouse Erica Wark, Celebrity Stylist, Fashion Expert and TV Personality. Erica makes frequent appearances on Canadian television including CTV’s The Social and Your Morning; she’s dressed an impressive roster of Canadian and American actors and actresses and is highly regarded as a subject matter expert on all things fashion.

Erica spoke to Eva Hartling about carving her own path in the highly competitive world of fashion and styling; what she feels is missing in the industry to make fashion more accessible to all (including diversity when it comes to models and clothes that can fit every size); and the boost of self-confidence that can come from choosing the right clothes and accessories.

Our guest on this 7th episode of The Brand is Female is Victoria Radford, Celebrity Makeup Artist and founder of Radford, a beauty and skincare brand. She is also co-owner of Radford Studio, a beauty studio in the heart of Yorkville in Toronto, Canada.

Victoria spoke to Eva Hartling about her accidental start in the world of beauty; one of her first big breaks as Fergie’s makeup artist; her distaste for social media and her philosophy on beauty today — “the dish will never be as good as the ingredients” which sums up Radford’s new motto “Beauty is within” perfectly.

Our guest on this 8th episode of The Brand is Female is Cheryl Hickey, Host of Entertainment Tonight Canada where she has been greeting more than half a million viewers every night since 2005. Cheryl has had an amazing track record on Canadian television; she is also an entrepreneur and was just named ambassador for John Frieda Hair Products.

Cheryl spoke to Eva Hartling about her journey to making it to the top, never taking ‘no’ for an answer; dealing with obstacles and challenges along the way and finding her self-confidence and balance with the support of family and loved ones.

Our guest this week is Michèle Maheux, outgoing Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Known as the “unsung hero” of what has become one of the global film circuit’s most important festivals, TIFF’s “number two” spent 30 years in leadership roles within the organization and was instrumental in its development, often working behind the scenes. Michèle championed women, both within and outside TIFF, putting a spotlight on women filmmakers and mentoring the next generation of film industry leaders. Listen to her interview where she tells Eva Hartling about her journey in the film industry, the changes she’s seen happen for women over the years — including those brought on by #MeToo; the importance of doing ‘what makes you happy’ and how you learn as much from the bad bosses as you do from the good ones.

Tiffany Sorya is the founder and CEO of Novel Education Group, a homeschooling and tutoring organization based in Los Angeles. Tiffany’s innovative business model has attracted a number of celebrities including Kris Jenner and Dr. Dre thanks to her focus on exploring youth’s creative side while balancing demanding, non-traditional schedules and academic work. She’s had quite the star-studded clientele with Kylie and Kendall Jenner as well as Hailey Baldwin among her past students.

Tiffany sees her role as helping the younger generation find value and meaning in an education system that can seem bland and standardized. She aims to enrich the lives of the new generation with the true value of knowledge.

She spoke to Eva Hartling about her approach to “making smart stylish again”; the powerful role that teachers have; and how she thinks the new generation of young women is growing up believing that anything is achievable when they put their mind to it.

Michelle Bilodeau is a Canadian journalist and Green Beauty Expert. She honed her editorial skills working at some of Canada’s leading lifestyle magazines including Flare and Fashion. Today she makes regular appearances on CTV and CBC, and she collaborates with different publications to provide her expertise on all things green. You can also follow her blog, The-Eco-Edit.com. Michelle realized early on that what we put on our skin can have an effect on our health. She became very aware of this when her father was diagnosed with Leukaemia, an environmental disease, in 2010.

In this episode, Michelle shared some of her incredible knowledge in the field of green beauty as well as giving advice on brands she swears by. Visit us on Instagram to see a list of products recommended by Michelle.

Stephanie Kersta and Carolyn Plater founded Hoame, a meditation and mindfulness space in downtown Toronto that offers dark and light rooms (where meditation workshops take place), a salt cave, an infrared sauna and more. Both founders are psychotherapists who specialize in treating addiction; they dreamed the concept for Hoame after recognizing that our modern stress-filled lifestyle was to blame for the mental health crisis our society faced today and wanted to create a space where taking care of yourself is accepted and celebrated.

Stephanie and Carolyn spoke to host Eva Hartling about their experience as clinical psychologists, their path to turning their dream for Hoame into a reality and shared their tips for mindful living.

The Brand is Female can enjoy a free 30 or 60-minute class at Hoame using code FEMALELEADS100.

Brooke G., (known as @everydayexpert on Instagram) runs the Heal Hive, a platform for wellness and health advocacy which focuses on evidence-based holistic healing. Based in California, Brooke is a survivor of Lyme disease; an illness which almost claimed her life and which she cured using bee venom therapy. Today Brooke runs Heal Hive retreats to help individuals suffering from Lyme disease and other chronic illness. Brooke’s mantra? “Test, don’t guess”.

Brooke now also uses bee venom as a fertility treatment, after research has proven how effective the protocol is to increase fertility and reverse hormone depletion. In her own words, “bees may be small but they sure are mighty”.

Shannon Hamblin is a scriptwriter, director and producer based in Los Angeles. Shannon co-wrote what was named the 3rd best X-Files episode of all times (that would be season 11 episode 7!).

She has been working closely with Glen Morgan (Executive Producer of the X-Files) since 2013 when he discovered a feature script she wrote. Shannon worked with Morgan as writers/showrunner's assistant on Amazon's series "LORE". Prior to that, she produced two feature films after working several years in production.

She is now wrapping up post-production on her debut short film "Texas 2 Step" which she wrote, directed, and produced; it’s planned to be released in the fall of 2019.

Shannon spoke to host Eva Hartling about the realities of being a female writer/director/producer in Hollywood; how she finally found her voice as a director working on her latest film… and about her definition of success, which she sums up with the following: “Success is not a place that you end up at; it’s not a hotel that you check into. It’s a long, bumpy winding road that never ends. There is no place at the end of it.”

Visit Shannon’s website if you’d like to know more about her and all of her exciting projects!

Today is April 20, yes, that means 420. Given that Canada has recently legalized cannabis, we are celebrating with highlighting women who are doing amazing things in this growing sector, pun intended. Now, it’s important to note that the cannabis industry is still male-dominated — if you’ve attended any industry events or panels, you’ll usually notice a lineup of white men on stage.

Because we want to see that change, this weekend we are featuring interviews with inspiring women in the industry - in this episode you’ll hear from Sarah Gillin, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Olli Brands, a new player in the cannabis industry that focuses on CBD-infused healthy, accessible and natural edibles.

Olli Brands products are about to hit market and include everything from teas to chocolates and other delicious treats. The interview was done a little while ago and you’ll hear Sarah talk about the facility they plan on building - the good news is that construction has now taken place and Olli is just about ready to be available to consumers.

In honour of 420 and Earth Day taking place over this long weekend, we are celebrating with a bonus episode featuring the only woman to be CEO of a publicly-traded cannabis company: Alison Gordon from 48North.

Alison considers 48North to be more than just a licensed cannabis producer in Canada; she sees the company as a wellness organization, bringing the benefits of cannabinoids to consumers everywhere. Listen to Eva Hartling's conversation with a woman who is definitely shattering glass ceilings.

Vicky Milner is the co-founder and President of CAFA, the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards. CAFA celebrates outstanding achievement and emerging talent in the Canadian fashion industry.

Prior to co-founding CAFA, Vicky worked in a number of industries including fashion retail, music, entertainment, and nonprofit management. She set out to create CAFA six years ago when she realized there was a gap in the market. The platform she helped create has since recognized and awarded the country’s top established and emerging talent, making CAFA the leading Canadian recognition in the field of fashion.

We’re now a month away from CAFA 2019 and we sat down with Vicky to talk about her vision for the awards, the state of Canada’s fashion industry, how we can do our part to support local designers and what it means for one’s personal balance to be a busy mom running a successful fashion award platform.

Julietta Dexter is the Founder and CEO of The Communications Store, London’s leading agency specializing in fashion, luxury, beauty and lifestyle PR Julietta founded TCS 25 years ago, and her clients have included global and UK top brands, among them Net-a-porter, Burberry, the House of Versace, McQueen, Anya Hindmarch, Emilia Wickstead, Charlotte Tillbury, Goop, Glossier and more. Julietta and her team have played a huge role in launching and supporting growth for these brands and others. TCS recently expanded across the pond and now has offices in New York and Los Angeles. Over the years, Julietta has mentored and helped developed generations of PR professionals; she is known as an inspirational leader who puts human qualities at the top of the list— she is deeply respected and admired by anyone who has crossed her path.

Julietta and host Eva Hartling spoke about the reality of being a woman at the helm of a business and the challenges that come with the job (don’t miss her sharing how she deals with mansplaining and bullies). We also spoke about career and personal growth, leadership, finding balance in life, and how success has nothing to do with money in the bank.

Tara Downs has found success as a young gallery owner on the highly competitive art scene in New York City and has built amazing credibility for her career and gallery within the industry. She is known for her unbelievable instinct in finding emerging artists with a unique point of view.

Tara grew up in Canada and launched her own gallery called ‘Tomorrow’ in Toronto in 2011, then moved to Berlin to be director of the Tanya Leighton art gallery until she came back to Canada and decided to take a chance and move to New York City, a decision she calls ‘the most spontaneous’ she ever took. Shortly after, Tara opened her own space in New York’s Lower East Side, and later merged spaces with her partner Alex Ross to open Downs and Ross, now located on the Bowery.

Tara spoke to Eva Hartling about her experience building her business, the challenges that come with being a woman on the art scene in Toronto, Berlin and New York, and shared what keeps her going and grounded.

Poet and Activist Najwa Zebian and Global Restaurant Entrepreneur Janet Zuccarini came together for an evening of conversation moderated by Eva Hartling, where they spoke of their journey to unlocking their own potential.

This podcast is a live recording of the event 'In Conversation with The Brand is Female' which took place at Hoame in Toronto on May 14, 2019. Najwa and Zebian shared their life experiences with the audience, including the obstacles they faced on their path to becoming their true self. Although from different backgrounds, Najwa and Janet share common experiences - they have both overcome the difficult challenges that life threw at them on their path to growth and finding their own, powerful voice.

This interview is a bonus episode in French.

Melanie Blanchette is the co-owner of popular Montreal eateries Bouillon Bilk and Cadet. She and her business partner Francois Nadon opened their first restaurant in 2011 in a neighbourhood that was far from being known for white tablecloths and fine dining, with virtually no budget and no business experience. Almost overnight, it became known as one of the best food addresses in the city.

A few years later, the power duo opened a second address a few doors down and named it ‘Cadet’ in homage to the army surplus store the space used to house. Today, both restaurants are filled with regulars night after night, offering the perfect setting for a pre or post-theatre or concert dinner. The opening of Bouillon Bilk played a key role in the revitalization of Montreal’s Quartier des spectacles, an area that was known for homelessness and decrepit buildings just a few years earlier. Bouillon Bilk and Cadet now enjoy a fantastic reputation both in their city and globally, having received multiple accolades for the superior dining experience they offer.

Listen to Melanie’s empowering and inspiring entrepreneurial journey!

Camilla Fayed opened Farmacy when she realized there was a shortage of restaurants offering plant-based, locally-grown & organic options in London. Three years later her Notting Hill restaurant is still packed every day; she’s also launched her first book and is now taking Farmacy stateside to NYC.

Camilla may be the daughter of former Harrods owner, Mohamed Al-Fayed, but she has built her very own empire, focusing on a healthy, sustainable and non-toxic approach to nutrition.

Listen to Camilla's journey to opening her first restaurant (and making the choice to have it be a vegan address in a city where that's a rare occurence) and hear about what is behind her decision to focus on sustainable, locally-farmed, plant-based and organic food options.

On Thursday this week, CAFA, the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards, will host their sixth annual red-carpet Awards Gala, a unique evening that unite Canadian talent and fashion leaders from all over the world.

To highlight CAFA and its impact in the life of Canadian fashion talent, many of them women, we will be showcasing a series of interviews with CAFA nominees and award winners.

To kick things off, Eva Hartling spoke with the one and only Judith Maria Bradley, who is nominated for Model of the Year at this year’s Gala. Judith is 74, and as a member of the CAFA organizing committee recently told her, there has never been a nominee over the age of 30 in that category. What is also surprising is that Judith only recently started modelling, in her late 60s. But what is truly inspiring is Judith’s absolute love for life. She believes that life is magic, and after speaking with her for this interview, we believe she herself is pure magic. She has never followed conventional rules, and the word conventional simply does not belong in her vocabulary. One could say models in their 60s and 70s are having a moment, with the likes of Linda Rodin and Iris Apfel in the ranks; and Judith is definitely part of that movement. She’s appeared in magazines (in Canada, the US and Europe); ad campaigns (including being casted for an Adidas campaign) and is a street style star with an active social media presence. But her real accomplishment is in proving to the world, and to women everywhere, that being a woman after 40, 50 or 60 does not mean taking a backseat, and that a career — including one usually reserved to twenty-somethings — is possible for anyone who dreams it. Now if only we could have more Judiths in the world…

This episode was recorded at Hoame, Toronto’s leading meditation and wellness space.

On Thursday this week, CAFA, the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards, will host their sixth annual red-carpet Awards Gala, a unique evening that unites Canadian talent and fashion leaders from all over the world.

To highlight CAFA and its impact in the life of Canadian fashion talent, many of them women, we are showcasing a series of interviews with CAFA nominees and award winners.

In this bonus episode our host Eva Hartling speaks with Jessica Bedard, an Ottawa-based shoe designer who is nominated for the Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent, Accessories at CAFA 2019. Jessica designs beautiful footwear that is handmade in Italy, inspired by traditional European craftsmanship. Jessica had a career before becoming a designer, but even as a late bloomer, her designs have been winning clients over in Asia, Europe and North America and her shoes have been worn by the likes of Sophie Trudeau, Gigi Hadid and Carrie Underwood.

Listen to Jessica share her journey as an emerging designer and find out what keeps her motivated and grounded on a daily basis.

Our interview took place at the Broadview Hotel in Toronto.

Mosha Lundstrom Halbert is a Fashion Editor as well as the co-founder of Therma Kota, an outerwear brand she launched with her sister, Sophie Lundstrom Halbert, with help from their mom, Linda Lundstrom. Based in Miami, Florida, Mosha has lived in New York City and Toronto and has worked at prestigious titles including WWD, Footwear News, Flare, Elle and Fashion Television. She has also served as the associate fashion director at Hudson’s Bay Company and Lord & Taylor. She is a contributor to VOGUE and The Business of Fashion and appears on-air regularly on CBC's Q and CityLine. Mosha decided to join the other side of the fashion industry, this time as an entrepreneur, and launched Therma Kota in 2017. Today, the outerwear brand, thanks to its scandi-chic lines and versatility, has attracted the eyes of editors and savvy consumers globally.

Eva Hartling sat down with Mosha just before the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards Gala in Toronto; Mosha served as one of CAFA’s jury members this year . Listen to Mosha talk about her start in the world of fashion, what made her want to become an entrepreneur and what inspires and challenges her on a daily basis!

Meghan Hull Jacquin is a Partner at Howie, Sacks and Henry, a Toronto-based personal injury law firm. Forget what you know about personal injury lawyers because Meghan is a true modern day superwoman, fighting for social justice and going against large insurance companies and corporations to defend the rights of her clients who, more often than not, are women. She has led several high-profile cases and is known among her peers as a fearless advocate who will go the extra mile for the victims she represents. Meghan also gives back through her involvement with Shelter Movers, a pan-Canadian organization founded by her husband, Marc Jacquin, whose mission is to help women who are leaving an abusive household by taking care of their move while they transition to a shelter.

In this interview, Meghan and host Eva Hartling spoke about Meghan’s path in a male-dominated industry, the harassment and bullying that she expected would be par for the course — but she also raises what we are often afraid to talk about openly, which is the agressive competitiveness that can exist among women in the workplace. Meghan has chosen to turn negative into positive and she advocates for more mentorship and more support between women, something she puts into action day after day.

Michèle and Véronik Bastien are the co-founders of PEPPERMINT Cycling Co., a Quebec-based company launched 4 years ago which has disrupted the cycling apparel industry by offering a line that targets women specifically. Today the company sells its designs across Canada, both in stores and through e-commerce, and is on the way to capture new markets internationally.

Being avid cyclists themselves, the sister duo was motivated by the strong desire to create a brand that is an expression of style, leadership, inclusion and freedom. Find out how the Peppermint co-founders took on a traditionally made-dominated industry and came out ahead.

Support for this episode of The Brand is Female comes from Bumble Bizz, where you can network at your own pace, on your own terms. You’ll find Bumble in the Apple app store and Android market!

Caroline Issa is CEO of London-based TANK Group, and fashion director for TANK Magazine. Also known for being a fixture on the international fashion week circuit (and being a street style photographer’s favourite), the Montreal native describes herself as “a businesswoman who loves fashion”. Caroline is a former management consultant who has lived around the world; she eventually left her position to join the magazine startup that was TANK around 17 years ago… and she has not looked back since. She has definitely left her mark on the fashion industry, from collabs with the world’s leading brands including a collection designed with retail giant Nordstrom… to work done through TANK’s creative agency, where her team and her have worked on advertising campaigns for a number of major brands, from Mulberry to DeBeers and Monica Vinader. They also create digital content for several retail and fashion clients, including Hugo Boss and Lane Crawford. In 2007 Caroline launched Becauselondon.com — a digital magazine of which she is editor-in-chief.

Caroline’s motto “Feel the fear and do it anyway” has always inspired her life decisions — find how why and how. In just a few days Caroline will be launching a brand new fashion collaboration (hint: her love of prints will be leveraged in this one) so make sure to follow us on Instagram as well as @carolineissa to get the scoop!

Support for this episode of The Brand is Female comes from Bumble Bizz, where you can network at your own pace, on your own terms. You’ll find Bumble in the Apple app store and Android market!

Noura Sakkijha is CEO and co-founder of Mejuri, a brand which has been disrupting the jewelry industry through its direct to consumer approach and its focus on entry price points — launching the existence of the “demi-fine” category in jewelry. Noura has been a complete visionary, turning away from her background as an engineer to imagining and then launching a jewelry brand that caters to self-purchasing women specifically, offering items that are often based on crowd-sourced designs and always at appealing prices. The company has grown rapidly, thanks in part to an injection of capital from VC investors, with the last round famously raised by Noura while she was pregnant with twins of a sizeable 23-million dollar investment. The future is bright for Mejuri — listen to Noura tell us about her vision of leadership, how she juggles being a mom and a CEO, and what’s next for her, and Mejuri.

Thank you to Hoame, The Brand is Female’s favourite meditation and mindfulness space in the heart of downtown Toronto, where we recorded this episode of our podcast with Noura.

Emily Ramshaw is the Canadian Lead for Bumble, the dating and networking app that is helping reshape gender dynamics and create a safe space for women online. Emily has an impressive track record in publishing, going from an internship at Flare in Toronto (where she became Assistant Fashion Director) and eventually moving to New York and joining the all-star team at The Coveteur.

Today Emily is passionate about spreading Bumble’s message of ending misogyny and promoting equality online. Emily and I chatted about her professional journey, the complexity of the online world and social media and its impact on today’s society, especially for younger women -- and the role that a platform like Bumble can play in changing gender dynamics. We also discussed the usual, you know, leadership, feminism and finding balance in our insanely busy lives…

My conversation with Emily was recorded at Hoame, The Brand is Female’s favourite meditation and wellness space in Downtown Toronto.

This week we’re traveling to the UK, and our guest is Hayley Menzies, a London-based Womenswear designer whose latest collection of powerful, eccentric knit and silk prints for Summer 2019 can be found at Harrods, Liberty’s and an array of cool concept stores and e-comm shops. A few years earlier, Hayley’s company was facing bankruptcy, and after sitting with her CFO, she pleaded for the chance to design just one more collection, to see if she could turn things around… and boy, did she. Her latest collection has been seen on celebs around the world, picked up by leading retailers and she’s now expanding her Notting Hill showroom and team to meet the needs of her rapidly growing business.

Hayley studied fashion design and styling at The London College of Fashion, moved on to spend time modelling and later, became an events planner working with prestigious clients including British royalty, Van Cleef and Arpels, The Royal Opera House and The Financial Times. Hayley eventually set up her own fashion label in 2010, after having discovered a scarf in Bangkok that she imported and sold on a stall in London’s Portobello Market.

Dr Andrea Gelinas is not a regular dentist, she’s a cool dentist. After an appointment at her clinic, I have in fact been convinced that a visit at the dentist can be enjoyable. Dr Gelinas’ office is on Dundas West in Toronto, and after years practicing at other clinics in the US and Canada she decided she wanted to launch her dream dental office, and break from tradition with a swanky space that has nothing to do with the beige medical offices we are used to. It starts with beautiful decor and amazing customer experience, but it’s more than that. Dr Gelinas even recommended acupuncture as a way of dealing with my teeth-grinding problem, something I never expected a dentist to do. We often overlook dental health as part of our self-care routine and Dr Gelinas is here to remind us of why it matters. Listen to her story and to what made her want to carve her own unconventional path!

We recorded this episode at the beautiful Hoame — visit Toronto’s favourite meditation studio and get inspired to design your own selfcare routine!

Caroline Torti is an internationally renowned creative director and dance choreographer. Originally from Toronto, Caroline has seen her work take her around the globe. Among other productions, you would have seen her choreography work on ‘So You Think You Can Dance Canada’ and ‘Hysterica’ – the LA dance performance choreographed by Mandy Moore.

If you’ve ever wondered what career path is available to you as a creative or artist, look no further for inspiration. Taking her expert skills in contemporary jazz and other dance genres, Caroline has built a career for herself, directing her own features or being called to take part in leading dance productions, either for film or for the stage, around the world.

But, as we all know, a career as a professional dancer comes with its unique set of pressure and challenges. Listen to Caroline’s journey as she’s carved a unique path for herself.

We recorded this episode at the beautiful Hoame — visit Toronto’s favourite meditation studio and get inspired to design your own selfcare routine!

This is Fashion Week season; Toronto Fashion Week wrapped up this week and New York is in full swing. To celebrate the many talented women in the field of fashion and design, we’re kicking off season 2 with an interview featuring Katie Kolondiski, founder and creative director of Silk Laundry, a wonderful line of silk slip dresses, camisoles, blouses and more.

Silk Laundry began as a side project five years ago with just four pieces, which Katie launched when she was living in Australia. Within the first year, the brand was carried in 60 stores. Today, the brand counts three stores (two are in Australia) and a staff of 17. Katie opened a Silk Laundry shop in Montreal after deciding to move back to Canada to be closer to her family and now works out of an office space above the shop. The brand has received accolades from the fashion community, and stars including Chrissy Teigen have been flocking to the brand’s popular slips.

Fashion Week recently wrapped up in Toronto, and we recorded a special episode of the Brand is Female at an event held by Canadian outerwear brand Sentaler in honour of their partnership with SickKids, The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

The Brand is Female’s Eva Hartling hosted a panel with the brand’s founder, Bojana Sentaler, Molly Fitzpatrick, chair of the Scrubs event held every year for Sick Kids, and Donna Bishop, host of FashionTalks podcast and fashion reporter for CBC.

Bojana, Molly, Donna and Eva discussed corporate responsibility and the best way of aligning a brand’s fundraising efforts with its DNA, what personal and brand philanthropy should be about, they talked about what women should do more of… and the always hot topic of finding balance (hint: Donna Bishop called it “the worst word to have ever been put on women”).

Learn more about Bojana Sentaler’s commitment to sustainability and social responsibility as the brand gets ready to celebrate its 10th anniversary!

Kimberley Newport-Mimran is a fashion legend in Canada. She is President and Design Director of Pink Tartan, the womenswear brand that she founded in 2002 and which has since grown into an international brand known for understated luxury and sophisticated sportswear. At Toronto Fashion Week this year Kim presented a brand new collection of evening wear, or “Canadian couture” as she called it, under the label Kim Newport, which was received with great acclaim.

The Brand is Female’s Eva Hartling discussed Kim’s earlier years building a career in fashion (including a stint at now defunct Caban aka the greatest home store in Canadian history!), where her inspiration comes from, the secret to keeping a fashion line alive and successful for 17 years, the obstacles she faced along the way and how she stays grounded… which translates into lots of meals at home with husband Joe Mimran and her children.

Ruby Brown is the founder of Montreal-based Ruby Brown Perfume House.

Ruby fell in love with perfume when she was working as a model in Paris and visited the town of Grasse. After studying the art of perfumery and coming back home to take entrepreneurship classes, she decided to launch her own company in 2012, first by offering custom perfume workshops, and eventually creating her own branded products.

Ruby has since partnered with Simons, Tristan and other large retail brands for product collaborations which include scented candles, custom-made perfumes and more. The future definitely looks and smells rosy… listen to Ruby’s conversation with Eva Hartling where she shares her journey to building Canada’s only luxury perfume house.

Jeanne Beker is a Canadian journalist, media personality, and fashion entrepreneur. But more than all of this, she is an icon and a trailblazer, who has deeply influenced Canadian broadcasting, and the Canadian fashion industry overall.

Jeanne started her career as an actress, but moved into radio and then TV. She became host of Fashion Television (FT), which aired for 27 years and had viewers in more than 130 countries. Jeanne has been editor-in-chief of two magazines and she has published five books, including her 2010 autobiography, Finding Myself in Fashion. Jeanne has been a contributing editor of The Toronto Star, The Kit, and a columnist for Metro, as well as a style columnist for The Globe and Mail and Post City magazine, in addition to writing for several lifestyle publications. She has launched her own clothing line, Edit by Jeanne Beker, and was named Style Editor of The Shopping Channel. Her many awards include her appointment to the Order of Canada in 2014 for her support of the Canadian fashion industry and a Canadian Screen Achievement Award for the role she played in changing the way Canadians watch television.

Throughout her life, Jeanne carved her own path, opened doors and broke through glass ceilings, paving the way for women in media, publishing and fashion after her… listen to her conversation with Eva Hartling and discover her inspiring journey.

Art Toronto, Canada’s international contemporary and modern art fair, is being held this weekend, and to highlight this important event we sat down with a few women artists for a special showcase.

The art industry continues to be marked by inequality: as of the first half of 2018, there were only 5 women on Artnet’s list of the 100 best-selling artists at auction. The number of women on this list has fluctuated between just 2 and 6 since 2013. Overall, 96.1% of artworks sold at auction are by male artists.

The top three museums in the world — the British Museum, the Louvre, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art —have never had female directors.

Women are still behind men in directors positions in at museums with budgets over $15M, holding 30% of art museum director positions and earning 75¢ for every dollar earned by male directors.

Our first guest part of our Art Toronto showcase is Janet Werner, a Winnipeg-born, Montreal-based painter. Janet’s work is presented at Art Toronto and she has a solo show opening at the start of November at the Musee d’art contemporain de Montreal.

Janet studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and went on to attend Yale University where she received her Masters of Fine Arts. She taught painting and drawing at the University of Saskatchewan and started teaching at Concordia University when she moved to Montreal in 1999.

Janet is known for her impressive, large scale fictional portraits of women. She has been focusing on the genre since 1997 — through her work, she explores themes of subjectivity and desire by producing composites of found images, mostly gathered from fashion magazines.

Listen to Janet discuss her journey, her sources of inspiration as well as the challenges she’s faced as a Canadian visual artist with our podcast host Eva Hartling!

This week, in keeping with our theme of women in the arts following Art Toronto held at the end of October, our guest is Maryam Keyhani.

There are several words that can be used to describe Maryam — she is a painter, sculptor, designer, wife, mother, surrealist and hat enthusiast. She spends her time between Toronto and Berlin, and for anyone who follows her on social media, she appears to live in an absolutely enchanted world where her, her children and her friends partake in the joy of dressing up with Maryam’s creations which on an average day can include brocade, feathers, ruffles, embroidery, bows, lace, silk, outrageously puffy sleeves, balloon skirts and dresses that look like they belong to another era… and of course, the fabulous, extravagant hats which have become her signature.

These days, we can safely refer to Maryam as a hat maker. She has earned attention from media in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, including recent praise for her escapades in millinery in Vogue.

Designer, journalist and past TBIF podcast guest Mosha Lundstrom recently used the following words to describe her own experience wearing one of Maryam’s creations:

“I can’t even describe how transformative your hats are to wear. Crowds part, people treat you like you are way more important than you often feel, and you, in turn, carry yourself totally differently. And so a new hat habit is formed.”

Listen to our host Eva Hartling’s conversation with Maryam for a glimpse inside the artists’s wonderful, imaginary world and to hear the story of what has inspired her to start making hats, thus allowing anyone who wishes to join in to rediscover the importance of play, as an escape and a respite from the harsh realities of life.

Jacqueline Leung is the Founder and CEO of Pressed News, a digital media company that makes the news easy to understand. With a daily email newsletter, online explainers, and social media community, Pressed brings its subscribers a recap of world issues straight to their mailbox every morning, always from a Canadian perspective - and minus the bias.

Before launching Pressed, Jacqueline spent several years in marketing in different industries, including sports, food, and media. She came to realize she wasn’t getting access to Canadian news in a way that made sense for her, and she set out to fix the issue.

Listen to her journey as she starting building a different kind of media company and discover some of her tips for dealing with adversity (including going to therapy once a week!), career challenges and get her advice on what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.

This episode was recorded at Hoame, Toronto’s favourite meditation and wellness studio.

Sabrina Maddeaux is a Toronto-based journalist specializing in fashion, lifestyle, beauty and more… she is the current Society editor and arts/style columnist for the National Post; she also contributes to a number of other publications in addition to being a style and beauty expert on the air for shows such as CityLine. Sabrina has carved her own path in the current, challenging media landscape and has managed to come out ahead!

Listen to Sabrina discuss the challenges that come with being a woman in media, the state of publishing in 2019 including the pressures that come from brands and advertisers… and hear her explain why it matters to be able to share more women’s voices and women’s stories.

Tracy Moore is the award-nominated host of Cityline, the longest running lifestyle program for women in Canada. She is the first black woman at the helm of a Canadian lifestyle TV show and has broken multiple glass ceilings throughout her career in media!

Listen to our interview and hear about the obstacles she has faced and the risks she has taken (hint: they all paid off!) and learn about her impressive journey to unlocking her own potential.

Tracy started her career as a reporter and anchor in the early 2000s, working in various Canadian TV networks and making her way up the ladder. While she initially was dreaming of becoming the new Diane Sawyer, Tracy moved on to obtain one of the most coveted spots in lifestyle TV with her headlining gig on Canadian show Cityline which is also broadcast in 70 million American homes daily.

Tracy has garnered several awards over the years, among them: Brilliant Minded Woman Award for Community Service, Canadian Screen Award Best Host nominee, Gemini Best Host nominee and the BBPA Media Award. Tracy is also a proud mom of two.

Our interview was recorded at Hoame, Toronto’s favourite meditation space.

Mary Alice Malone is the founder of New-York and London-based Malone Souliers.

Mary Alice’s eponymous brand of elevated women’s shoes was founded in 2014 in London, and quickly rose to become a leading name in International luxury footwear. Picked up by leading e-comm fashion retailers such as Net-a-Porter and Matches shortly after the brand was launched, Malone started appearing on every cool girl’s feet. Launching in the UK first, the brand won over customers in the Middle East and Europe, then North America.

Mary Alice Malone was born and raised in the heart of the Pennsylvania countryside. Passionate about horse riding, Mary Alice didn’t expect she’d become a footwear designer one day, but she was always interested in craftsmanship and the process of designing objects.

She later honed her craft at the London College of Fashion, further refining her skills at a number of renowned ateliers, before launching her own brand.

Mary Alice took a short break from leading Malone when she became pregnant with her first child, leaving co-founder Roy Luwort in charge; but she came back, determined to continue to lead Malone’s love story with customers across the world, and carry on the brand’s expansion.

Listen to our interview with Mary Alice where we talk about the obstacles she has faced breaking through footwear glass ceilings — after all, luxury women’s footwear is traditionally designed mostly by men for some odd reason… and discover the many lessons she has learned along the way.

This week, our guest is Stephanie Kersta, co-founder of Hoame, The Brand is Female’s favourite meditation studio in downtown Toronto. Stephanie is a registered psychotherapist who holds a Masters in Psychology. She pursued additional certifications, including post-grad studies in Addictions and Mental Health Counselling, and she has incorporated additional evidence-based holistic practices to her training; she is now certified in Applied Mindfulness Meditation, Stress Reduction, Cognitive Therapy, and Mindful Eating. Stephanie opened the meditation studio Hoame with her business partner Carolyn Plater a little over a year ago.

One of the things Stephanie specializes in is sleep therapy, and we thought she’d be the perfect interview to end the year with, as we all need support with our sleeping habits, especially this time of year! It can also be a difficult time for anxiety overall, and we asked Steph to share a few tips. If you’re finding yourself triggered or wondering how to get the best rest in the middle of the Holiday break; this episode is for you!

Our first guest of the third season of The Brand is Female is Salima Visram, founder of Samara, a brand of vegan leather goods based in Toronto, founded in 2017. The company is a favourite among influencers and fashion editors and it grew to sell over 70,000 vegan bags last year which were shipped to more than 22 countries. Made of 100% cruelty-free materials, Samara is a spin-off which also helps fund Salima’s first business venture, Soular Backpack, a not-for-profit she created with the goal of providing solar-battery backpacks to children in East Africa, so that they could do their homework at night without needing access to kerosene, an expense their families can’t always afford. Soular Backpack drew attention from the likes of Disney and actress Lupita Nyong’o who both became involved. Originally from Kenya herself, Salima has always had the goal of making our world better through her business concepts.

Find out how Salima applies sustainability principles to her company’s strategy and how she’s building a brand based on the belief that we should live in a world where fashion can do good, not just look good!

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support.

Connie Lo and Laura Burget are the co-founders of Niu Body, a natural skincare brand they launched in 2017 after being frustrated with the lack of clean beauty options on the market. Starting their company at 23 and with just $4,000 in their pockets, their grit and determination has definitely paid off as today the brand can be found in over 350 retailers across North America, including The Bay in Canada and Kohls in the US. Listen to Connie and Laura’s story of growth as well as the lessons they learned along the way!

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support.

The New York-based duo has been getting buzz in part because of its famous family connections, namely Neely and Chloe’s aunt, Tory Burch. But the two sisters have built an empire all of their own: Neely & Chloe is a successful line of affordable yet sustainable bags, footwear and accessories that aims to fill the void between fast fashion and luxury without sacrificing quality. You can find their designs in retailers across the US, over 150 at this point including Anthropologie, in addition to their own e-commerce boutique. Neely and Chloe’s success has been fuelled by their authentic approach with their consumer base, or what they call “the founder effect”, as well as the appeal of their wide range of products, with something to fit women’s various lifestyles, no matter their age.

Listen to Neely and Chloe’s journey and discover what they’ve learned along the way!

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support.

This bonus episode features an interview with Chantal Pitre who heads TD’s brand new Women Entrepreneurs program as well as Camille Beaudoin from UN Women. Listen to a conversation about the challenges faced by women in business, especially as it relates to banking and financing and learn more about WE EMPOWER — an initiative from UN Women, the European Union and the ILO as well as the #FlexForEmpowerment campaign which seek to promote gender equality and women empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and community.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support.

Jennifer Brodeur, or JB Skin Guru as she is called on Instagram is well known for the celebrity clientele she services, with devotees who include Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama and Gwyneth Paltrow. Now if these women come back to her you know her facials and products are next level. But Jennifer’s real superpower is her passion for wellness, health and improving women’s skin everywhere, which she relates to helping women feel empowered — all through a holistic approach to beauty. We’re completely here for this, of course. Her book, La Peau et ses secrets, or “The Skin and its secrets” is just about to launch in French (English version coming soon, she promised) and in it you’ll have access to Jennifer’s secrets and tips for natural beauty and amazing skin, which she has perfected over her 20-year career. Listen to our conversation with Jennifer and discover her unique journey - there may even be a few health and skincare tips in there!

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support.

A true globetrotter who has lived around the world before settling in Toronto, Elle AyoubZadeh launched Zvelle in 2015 for women who are global citizen themselves. She wanted to create a brand known for its quality — but not while selling at unattainable prices; and she wanted to lead a company that would be aligned with the social values that matter to her as a founder. Her line of shoes and handbags are timeless and well-made so that you won’t throw them out after just one season; a great way of aiming for sustainability when it comes to fashion. She personally works with all her suppliers to make sure the best materials and the best craftsmen are behind her designs. Discover her journey building a brand from the ground up!

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support.

This podcast was recorded at Hoame, our favourite meditation studio in Toronto.

In 2012, Montreal native Florence Gagnon created a platform to provide resources to the lesbian and queer communities, LezSpreadTheWord, the first bilingual website of its kind in Canada. Two years later, she launched the FÉMININ/FÉMININ fiction series, along with director Chloé Robichaud, a filmmaker known for several award-winning productions including Sarah Préfère la Course and Boundaries. The series went on to win two Gemini Awards in Quebec, and several international prizes. In 2016, she published the first issue of LSTW magazine, a bilingual Canadian publication, now distributed nationally as well as across the US and Europe, including London and Stockholm, and MoMA PS1 in New York. Tegan and Sara as well as Lena Waithe have been featured on its cover, among other high-profile personalities. Florence has been an advocate for the representation of the lesbian and queer community — and womxn in general — throughout her journey.

Listen to our conversation where we talk about gender equity, including the challenges all wxmen face when it comes to representation in mainstream media, and find out how LSTW is aiming two help change the narrative around inclusion.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support.

SheEO Founder Vicki Saunders describes herself as an entrepreneur, mentor and advisor to the next generation of changemakers. Through her experience running several ventures in Europe, Toronto and Silicon Valley, Vicki realized that fundamental change was needed in order to see the barriers preventing women entrepreneurs to tap into financing resources and overall support be lifted. To help make that change happen, Vicki went on to create SheEO in 2015, a concept which she sums up as #radicalgenerosity, allowing activators from around the world to invest a small amount of money into a fund that goes on to benefit female founders who have a project that helps make our world a better place, a brilliant idea which has already seen over $4 million raised globally and over 73 female-led ventures supported.

Learn more about Vicki’s journey and what inspired her to create a platform in support of women in business.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

Coly Den Haan has always been involved with the hospitality industry, working at a number of famous local spots after she moved from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, including Fred Segal’s Mauro’s Cafe, Farfalla and Barney Greengrass. She eventually decided to give entrepreneurship a go and opened The Must in downtown LA, and later Perch, with both spots garnering accolades and becoming go-to destinations on everyone’s list. Coly became an accredited sommelier and after a few years in the restaurant biz, she decided it was time to switch over to wine. Coly set out to focus exclusively on selling the work of women winemakers from around the globe. This was during Hillary Clinton's campaign, when, in Coly’s words “everyone thought the next POTUS would be a woman”. Hillary didn’t make it (and the rest is sadly, history) but Vinovore was born… and it generated instant success! Discover Coley’s journey in our interview; if you like wine, this episode is definitely for you.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

One could easily say Mungi Ngomane grew up with activism and social justice in her blood. The granddaughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mungi realized at a young age she wanted to help make the world a better place. Graduating in International Studies and Diplomacy, her time has been spent between South Africa, the UK and North America, where she has been working in Middle East conflict resolution and for the advancement of women and girls for some of the world's leading advocacy and NGO organizations. In her book released a few months ago, Mungi has shared the wisdom around Ubuntu, South African philosophy which teaches us that our common humanity and our connection to each other is key to living a better life. Discover Mungi’s journey and find out how Ubuntu can make a difference in your life, too!

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

In this special series we speak to inspiring women role models from different backgrounds who share their views and advice for dealing with the period of anxiety and uncertainty we currently find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first guest on our special feature, Kasey Crown is a psychotherapist, wellness educator and writer. Her work challenges old mental health paradigms and suggests instead that true well-being lies in our ability to balance scientific and spiritual perspectives. For more than a decade, she has served as a facilitator of the healing process for adult individuals, couples and groups, working to upend trauma, transform emotional injury, repair relationship and unlock vital wisdom to connect people with who they truly are. Along with her business partner Jakki Leonardini, Kasey is the co-creator of WellSoul, educational and experiential workshops which draw from the fields of interpersonal neurobiology, spiritual psychology and energy medicine. Kasey and Jakki have gathered quite a cult following based on the WellSoul formula and the positive impact it has on participants, including receiving accolades from Goop, among others.

In this interview, Kasey provides perspective and shares practical advice on how to deal with the anxiety and fear many of us are experiencing during this pandemic. We hope Kasey’s advice can be useful to you!

Kasey was generous enough to share an 8-minute grounding meditation for our listeners, download it here. She recommends doing this meditation several times a day.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

In this special series we speak to inspiring women role models from different backgrounds who share their views and advice for dealing with the period of anxiety and uncertainty we currently find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fitness expert and celebrity trainer Lauren Boggi is the founder of Studio LB. She is a 20-year industry veteran who has gained notoriety across the US and beyond, appearing in The New York Times, People, Vogue, SHAPE, Fitness Magazine, and Forbes just to name a few. After years running her fitness studio in Philadelphia followed by a move to Los Angeles with her family, Lauren has taken her practice to the digital world through Studio LB. She specializes in workouts that are offered through online subscriptions so her clients can benefit from her services from home, or anywhere they find themselves. She also works on custom fitness solutions and offers one-on-one support to the LB Studio community to help clients achieve their personal goals.

In this interview, Lauren shares ways to stay active during this period where we’re all being asked to self-isolate as well as other tips she's applying to deal with the feelings of anxiety we are all experiencing, including for parents with young kids at home.

If you would like to try Studio LB's workouts, Lauren is offering The Brand is Female listeners a special discount: use code THEBRANDISFEMALE at checkout for 50% off on a one-month subscription. Sign up here!

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

In this special series we speak to inspiring women role models from different backgrounds who share their views and advice for dealing with the period of anxiety and uncertainty we currently find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stephanie Kersta opened the meditation studio Hoame with her business partner Carolyn Plater a little over a year ago. In this time that triggers a lot of dark feelings for people, Stephanie shared her advice for getting through it all; she also discussed how she is adapting to the situation as a business owner. In this interview you will find tips on reducing stress, managing sleep and boosting your immune system.

Stephanie is a registered psychotherapist who holds a Masters in Psychology. She pursued additional certifications, including post-grad studies in Addictions and Mental Health Counselling, and she has incorporated additional evidence-based holistic practices to her training; she is now certified in Applied Mindfulness Meditation, Stress Reduction, Cognitive Therapy, and Mindful Eating.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

In this special series we speak to inspiring women role models from different backgrounds who share their views and advice for dealing with the period of anxiety and uncertainty we currently find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Carly Stein discovered bee propolis, a natural substance bees make that contains compounds which support immunity while on a trip to Italy in 2012. She realized there wasn't a brand selling wellness products with this kind of superfood ingredient back in the U.S. The idea stuck, and four years later she left a trading job at Goldman Sachs to launch Beekeeper's Naturals. Its propolis throat spray is now one of the top 5 cold and flu products on Amazon, and the company has expanded its product line to include supplements for focus and honey infused with superfoods like bee pollen.

In Carly’s words, Beekeepers’ is on a mission to reinvent the medicine cabinet - and save the bees while they’re at it. In these times where immunity, health and the planet’s survival are especially hot topics, Beekeeper’s and Carly’s ethos is more relevant than ever.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

In this special series we speak to inspiring women role models from different backgrounds who share their views and advice for dealing with the period of anxiety and uncertainty we currently find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This episode features an interview with Jakki Leonardini, celebrated Energy Healer, Certified Life Coach and Co-Founder of WellSoul Workshops.

Jakki’s spiritual awakening took place when she supported a friend going through a terminal illness. As she turned her focus inward to begin her own wellness journey, her intuitive clarity and vocation as a healer emerged. Since then, Jakki has studied with internationally renowned spiritual teacher and author Denise Linn. She also trained for several years in techniques developed at the Berkeley Psychic Institute in California.

Utilizing energy healing techniques that work with the ancient Indian chakra system, Jakki facilitates a healing process that brings us down a path of clarity, purpose, balance, creativity, health, and prosperity.

Jakki’s work has been highlighted in Goop, among others; she is also the co-founder of WellSoul Workshops along with psychotherapist Kasey Crown, who was a recent guest on the podcast too.

Given that we are all currently experiencing trauma — literally at a global level — and because this triggers fear and anxiety in most of us, we immediately turned to Jakki for her helpful insights and advice to help us get through this difficult time and understand how we can activate our own healing process.

A link to Jakki’s grounding meditation is available here.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

In this special series we speak to inspiring women role models from different backgrounds who share their views and advice for dealing with the period of anxiety and uncertainty we currently find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minister Ng was elected as MP for the riding of Markham-Thornhill in April 2017. She was named Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade in 2019. With 20 years of experience in the areas of education, women’s leadership, job creation, and entrepreneurship, she is also responsible for the Federal Government’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy.

We spoke to Minister Ng about the measures put in place by the Trudeau government to support Canadian businesses affected by Covid-19 and we discussed what this means for women entrepreneurs specifically. Minister Ng shared insights and advice for female founders on how to maximize resiliency and innovation in a time of crisis.

She also addressed what additional measures will be available for companies who until now did not qualify for part of the government’s relief plan which we welcome as great news for women at the helm of a startup and all entrepreneurs who started their business less than a year ago!

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

In this special series we speak to inspiring women role models from different backgrounds who share their views and advice for dealing with the period of anxiety and uncertainty we currently find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chantal Pitre is at the helm of the Women Entrepreneurs program at TD Bank. Earlier this year and under Chantal’s leadership, TD launched a new platform that aims to support women entrepreneurs across Canada, offering them specific resources and connecting them with industry partners, of which The Brand is Female is part of.

In this episode we speak to Chantal about the measures available to entrepreneurs to help them get through the challenges brought on by Covid-19. We spoke to Canada’s Small Business Minister Mary Ng earlier this week — catch our latest pod here — where she covered the Government initiatives available to business owners. In this conversation, Chantal walks us through the best way for entrepreneurs to work with their bankers for support during these tough times.

The following resources were mentioned by Chantal during our podcast, they are available for women entrepreneurs offering them various support programs:

https://reseaudesfemmesdaffairesduquebec.blogspot.com/

https://eequebec.com/

https://weconnectinternational.org/en/academy/webinar-calendar

https://wbecanada.ca/events/

https://fwe.ca/mentor-program

https://www.thebigpush.ca/

http://www.futurpreneur.ca/en/landing-pages/side-hustle/

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

In this special series we speak to inspiring women role models from different backgrounds who share their views and advice for dealing with the period of anxiety and uncertainty we currently find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This episode features an interview with Megan Tregunno, Vice President, Philanthropy at CAMH, Canada's largest mental health teaching hospital.

Megan Tregunno has spent the last decade working in the healthcare sector, heading fundraising strategies for some of Canada’s leading health organizations, including Women’s College Hospital. In this conversation, we speak about CAMH’s new play to support healthcare workers with mental health services, and talked about mental health issues that are surfacing during these difficult times, including those specific to women.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

In this special series we speak to inspiring women role models from different backgrounds who share their views and advice for dealing with the period of anxiety and uncertainty we currently find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this week’s podcast we’re talking about women and wealth with expert Ingrid Macintosh, who holds an impressive role at TD Bank Group as VP Wealth & Head of Sales Enablement, Communications & Digital Strategy.

Banking on three decades of experience in the investment industry, Ingrid shares her thoughts on how women can take control of their finances, a role we often shy away from for various reasons. We also discussed the specific challenges we’re currently facing with our personal investment strategy due to the impact of COVID-19 on global markets.

Ingrid has had an impressive track record, being part of a small group of women to hold a senior executive position within wealth management at a large financial institution.

In our conversation, you’ll also hear Ingrid talk about the fact that women are expected to control 50% of the financial wealth in Canada by 2026, and the shift this means for how the financing industry approaches women clients!

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

Alison Gordon was known as one of the only women CEOs leading a publicly-traded cannabis company until she left her position at 48North to the surprise of many last March; with the announcement of her departure made through a company press release.

In this interview, Alison and The Brand is Female’s host Eva Hartling talked about the reality of the still very prevalent glass ceiling in today’s corporate world, the achievements and headway Alison was able to make in the male-dominated cannabis industry, and they discussed the changes that are needed in order for women executives to have true equity when it comes to leadership and power in today’s business community.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

Four years ago, Karen Marshall and Tina Barkley founded Fleurs de villes — a unique, experiential concept that brings luxury floral installations to cities around the world. Karen’s background in international publishing and Tina’s experience as a lifestyle expert and serial entrepreneur helped propel the brand’s unique vision.

Connecting with world class talent in each location they launch in, Fleurs de villes works with top local florists, designers, growers and nurseries, to create stunning and memorable displays of art that draw attention and create engagement.

Fleurs de villes quickly garnered international attention and the brand has exhibited in London, UK, Chicago, New York, LA, Toronto, Vancouver just to name a few. Partnerships have been created with the London Portrait Gallery, five-star hotels and the world’s leading shopping destinations, among others.

Eva Hartling chatted with Fleurs de villes founders Tina and Karen about the challenges of starting a business from the ground up and the importance of keeping a positive outlook… as well as the opportunities available to business owners amidst our new reality post-Covid lockdown.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

This episode was recorded in the midst of a racial crisis in North America. To discuss the issue, we called on two inspiring black women leaders: Nontombi Naomi Tutu, the Canon missioner for Racial and Economic equity at the Cathedral of All Souls in Asheville, North Carolina along with her daughter Mungi Ngomane, author of the book Everyday Ubuntu, and Business Operations Manager for Outvote.

Inspired by the wisdom and action of their father and grandfather, Archbishop Desmond Tutu whose work was instrumental in dismantling Apartheid in South Africa, both women have made the defense of human rights and racial justice a central element in their lives.

The Brand is Female host Eva Hartling spoke to Naomi and Mungi about their point of view on the current situation in the US; the struggles black women continue to face in North America; what allyship looks like in the current context and what changes still need to take place as the fight against racism and racial injustice continues in today’s America.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

This episode features an interview with Kassandra Churcher, former Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies and the current Assistant Director for Post-Secondary Education services for the Inuit in Nunavut.

Our last podcast featured an interview with Nontombi Naomi Tutu and Mungi Ngomane who spoke about racial injustice and systemic racism in today’s America. While the current movement of protest stems from events that have taken place in the US - police brutality, oppression and injustice - we would be wrong to assume that Canada is faring much better when it comes to systemic racism. We spoke about the issues from a Canadian standpoint with Kassandra Churcher, an advocate for education and women’s issues whose work has been focused on supporting oppressed minorities in Canadian communities, from incarcerated women through her work at the Elizabeth Fry Societies and through her involvement with Aboriginal communities in Northern Quebec. Kassandra also shared her recommendations for the best way to support minorities and help fight racism in our everyday lives.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

This episode features an interview with Elizabeth Vazquez, CEO and Co-Founder of WEConnect International, and Marie Muldowney, Managing Director at the Canadian Securities Institute and Moody's Analytics.

Through the Council on Scaling Women-Owned Businesses, WeConnect, along with their partners Moodys and TD, worked on a report that was just released this week, called HOW TO REBUILD GLOBAL BUSINESS FOR GOOD. In light of the devastating impact COVID had on the global economy and local communities, the report addresses why it is critical to be connecting access to markets with access to capital for women-owned businesses.

Elizabeth and Marie spoke to The Brand is Female about the obstacles faced by women entrepreneurs across the world, preventing them from achieving their full potential. We talked about how women entrepreneurs can shift strategies in the tail of the Covid pandemic; Elizabeth and Marie also shared some of the concrete solutions that have been put forward in the Council’s report to be on the path to more inclusive business strategies, which will in turn create lasting change for the global economy.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

This episode features an interview with Afiya Francisco, Style Expert for on-air and print media and the Founder of The Style House.

Afiya has built an impressive career in fashion and lifestyle in the past decade— she appears as a regular contributor on Canada’s leading TV networks and collaborates with publications and brands on style content. In this convo with The Brand is Female, Afiya talks about her professional milestones and she also shares her guidance on addressing the complex question of racism with our children, our friends and family, and the best way of stepping up for Black entrepreneurs and Black-owned brands in our communities. For more content by Afiya, we highly recommend checking out her Kitchen Talk series on race, over at The Style House.

To support Black-owned brands, check out this list of Afiya’s current faves:

Love and Nudes
Okoko Cosmetics
Brother Vellies
Omi Woods
Petits Genoux
Goodee
Saint Lyon
Bôhten Eyeglasses
Pretty Denim
Sade Baron

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

This episode features a conversation with Elizabeth Cabral, Founder and Creative Director of Purpose & Perspective, a platform that promotes mindful consumption and sustainable practices for the fashion industry.

Fuelled by a global pandemic and a racial justice crisis, consumers are demanding more of the brands and companies they shop from. We are witnessing the rise of global consciousness, but we know green-washing, pink-washing and Black-washing are still prevalent. Three years after the foundation of Purpose & Perspective, we speak to Liz about what’s changed, and what still needs to happen to truly see companies align with purpose and social values. .

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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As women, we often have a complicated relationship with food. From the society we live in where diet culture and pressures around body image and “health” are pervasive to our own struggles with figuring out what is right for our body. We know nutrition is a key element when it comes to our health, affecting everything from our immune and reproductive systems to our energy levels— even our hair and skin.

In this episode, we speak with Bianca Osbourne who has turned a passion for food and cooking into a successful career (when we recorded this episode Bianca was starting production on her very own TV cooking show!). Bianca spoke to us about what food means to her, how nutrition plays a role in her personal approach to wellness (she starts every day with a fresh squeezed celery juice, and swears by perfectly foam-topped oat milk lattes which are great for skin) and she talks about making it as a professional chef and on-air cooking expert.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

This episode is presented by Jamieson Vitamins. Use the code​ thebrandisfemale​ to receive 20% off your order at jamiesonvitamins.com​ and keep an eye on our Instagram page where 3 of you will have a chance to win supplements from the Jamieson Women’s Health collection! From now until July 31st, every time the Jamieson campaign hashtag #HereForHerHealth is used, 50 cents will be donated to the​ ​Canadian Women’s Foundation​. Connect with Jamieson on Instagram:​ ​@jamiesoncanada.

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Chantal Carter has revolutionized the underwear industry by introducing nude undergarments that actually match everyone’s skin tone, including BIWOC’s. In an industry that is known for being traditional and having few disruptors, Chantal and her brand, Love & Nudes, are true trailblazers.

In this episode, we speak with Chantal about the inspiration behind Love & Nudes, how the fashion industry still has a long way to go to reflect real diversity, and her journey as a Black female founder.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Rachel Lambo founded body skincare brand Sade Baron with her mom after some convincing. While the brand has been a side hustle, it took off organically, pun intended — all Sade Baron products are all high-quality and vegan, packed with nutrient-rich superfoods that are good for both our skin and our planet. Today, retailers such as The Detox Market carry the brand and it’s become a favourite among beauty editors.

We spoke to Rachel about the challenges of launching a brand in a saturated market; the benefits of running a purpose-driven brand and what her hopes are for Black-owned brands today and tomorrow.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Sade Baron: sadebaron.com

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This week, we’re taking a deep dive into sustainability — all aspects of it — and the changes that need to take place in our world, both from a consumers’ standpoint, as well as from the brands that are manufacturing the products we consume. Our guest, Carrie Ellen Phillips, is absolutely passionate about sustainability, the circular economy and most of all, about helping companies carve out a new model for lasting change.

Carrie is the co-founder of BPCM, one of the world’s leading fashion PR agencies with offices in New York, Los Angeles and London, as well as a Sustainability Educator.

We spoke to Carrie about her personal journey and her path as a woman entrepreneur; how she views the challenges ahead and how Covid and Black Lives Matter have influenced our views as consumers and as humans. Carrie also shared with us the roadmap she recommends for companies looking to pivot to a sustainable positioning.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Melanie Ellezam created Olmsted Outerwear with the desire to do things differently. By committing to a sustainable supply chain and manufacturing process, Melanie established a brand anchored in “slow fashion” where products are conceived with the good of the planet in mind, as well as the good of the humans making them, and of the humans wearing them.

Melanie found inspiration in the work of Frederick Law Olmsted, the American landscape architect and mastermind responsible for the creation of Central Park in New York City, and Mount Royal Park in Montreal. Aligning with Olmsted’s approach to letting nature run its course, and a vision for the long term vs the short term, Melanie has kept her eyes on the goal and has overcome the challenges that come with building a brand that is challenging the status quo.

She spoke to Eva Hartling about her journey, what she’s learned along the way as well as her wish for the future of humanity and the responsibilities she thinks entrepreneurs have.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Olmsted Outerwear: olmstedouterwear.com

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Jo Notkin has turned a passion for food into a career, although she used to have a completely different job, working in the jewelry industry and later in textile design.

Leveraging her creativity and knack for business, Jo runs one of Montreal’s most successful catering companies, Zoe Ford. She was also selected as a contestant on the last season of TopChef Canada, where she made it through 6 episodes out of 8. If you’ve had the chance to try Jo’s carrot cake or any other item from the Zoe Ford Deli, you know how talented she is! Listen for great advice on starting your business as a second or third career, and the importance of doing what you love, always your own way.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Laura Nezri was focused on raising her family until she founded Maison Tess, based on an idea that came to her after she searched high and low for the perfect stylish bedding for her own home and realized there was a gap in the market.

Cue in her new venture, focused on beautiful sheets made of oeko-certified natural fibres including cotton and linen, sourced in Europe from ethical agriculture and marketed from Canada,.

Maison Tess, despite being focused on one specific category in homewares and using a direct-to-consumer channel only, saw rapid success and sustained growth.

Laura teaches us that it’s never too late to act on our entrepreneurial vision, and insists on the importance of never feeling guilty as women who juggle business and family life!

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Our guest this week is Sage Paul, Founding Member and Creative Director of Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto. An urban Denesuliné tskwe and a member of English River First Nation, she is an award-winning artist and designer as well as a recognized leader of Indigenous fashion, craft and textiles. Her work centres around family, sovereignty and resistance for balance.

Sage is getting ready for the next (virtual) edition of Indigenous Fashion Week and she spoke to Eva Hartling about the need for better representation in the industry and a potential collaboration model that can help do good (she recently led a collaboration with Canadian retailer Simon’s). She also shared her desire to honour the knowledge passed down from previous generations and her support for the generation coming up, her ‘little sisters’ who she wants to help empower.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Myriam Maguire is the Co-founder and Creative Director of Maguire, a design-led footwear brand that got its start in Montreal. In this conversation, Myriam shares her advice around challenging the boy’s club, risk-taking and going after your entrepreneurial dreams.

After graduating from Cordwainers College in London, UK and interning for established names such as Jonathan Saunders, then later working for fashion brands including Aldo where she learned the industry’s ropes, Myriam made the decision to launch her own brand focused on style and with the goal of providing affordable yet quality products. Inspired by brands that provide transparency on their cost structure, Myriam created Maguire with e-comm operations and a first boutique in Montreal, later to open a second boutique in Toronto.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Vanessa Barboni Hallik left a successful career in finance to launch her own brand of sustainable luxury garments, Another Tomorrow, with every decision guided by a value system based on three pillars: human, animal, and environmental welfare. Launching just before Covid hit with a direct-to-consumer model and one wholesale partner already secured— none other than Moda Operandi—Vanessa kept her sight on her goals and forged ahead.

Listen to her conversation with Eva Hartling to find out what inspired the riskiest move of her life, her career pivot from finance to fashion, and why she thinks the way we make clothing can be a pathway to activism.

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This week’s episode features a conversation with Janice Engel and Carlisle Vandervoort, director and producer of the award-winning documentary ‘Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins” being released in the UK just in time for the upcoming US elections. Molly Ivins, a columnist, was dubbed “six feet of Texas trouble”. She took on the ‘Good Old Boy’ corruption wherever she found it—most notably through her razor sharp attacks against President Bush, father and son. Her wit left both left-wing and right-wing laughing, and wanting more of her writing. Molly knew the Bill of Rights was in danger, and she said at the time: "Polarizing people is a good way to win an election and a good way to wreck a country." Her words could not ring more true today.

Janice and Carlisle share the story behind making their documentary about Molly, from knowing instantly this was the subject to go forward with to trying to raise funds to make a movie about a progressive journalist in the pre-Trump era. They talk about the passion needed to bring such a project to fruition, and share the lessons they’ve drawn from Molly’s wisdom and life journey.

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This week’s episode features a conversation with Eva Barboni, Founder and CEO of Atalanta, a consultancy that helps women candidates and candidates with a platform built around the advancement of women’s rights get elected around the world. Atalanta aims to help shape public opinion, raise awareness of global issues, and mobilise communities and funding for initiatives that help make the world a better place.

After her experience working on political campaigns in the US and globally, Eva was challenged to think about what her dream job would be. She imagined a company just like Atalanta, and within a short while, she had gone ahead and made it happen. This is a conversation about making our professional dreams come true and about overcoming the limits we often impose ourselves as women.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Better known as an actress, writer and producer who, incidentally, still dreams of appearing on a Broadway stage, Abigail Spencer began her acting career while still in high school in her Florida hometown. She’s since spent over two decades in film and TV, with roles in Oz The Great and Powerful, Mad Men, Grey’s Anatomy, Suits, Chasing Mavericks, Rectify, Timeless and, most recently, Reprisal. Known for gifting her on-set crew with florals over the years, Abigail had been dreaming up a secret project. As Covid lockdown came into effect and production came to a halt in Hollywood, she decided to act… and County Line Florals was born. Driving across Southern California onboard Betty, the vintage VW truck refurbished as a florista’s delivery vehicle, Abigail and her crew have been delivering joy in the form of floral bouquets for the past few months.

In this conversation, the actress speaks to host Eva Hartling about the ups-and-downs of finding herself as her acting career was taking off; how losing her father, pro surfer Yancy Spencer III on Valentine’s Day (“the day of flowers”) gave her strength to carve out her own path; and her ongoing quest to keep creating and connecting with people. In her new role as an entrepreneur, Abigail has been enjoying the “distance from the world of acting”, but she is hard at work on a few production projets and plans on continuing to make the most of a blooming, multi-hyphenate career. 

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Dianna Cohen is the founder of Crown Affair, a revolutionary haircare brand that launched less than a year ago — pre-Covid — and was met with almost instant commercial and editorial success. This fact will come as no surprise to you when you hear about Dianna’s impressive resume, including her being part of Forbes’ 30 under 30, class of 2019. She is a graduate of unicorn start-ups Into the Gloss (a little beauty brand better known today as Glossier); Spring, the e-commerce mobile app and Tamara Mellon; in addition to having consulted with Away, Harry’s, Outdoor Voices, The Wing, and more.

Host Eva Hartling spoke with Dianna about what it means to be part of that generation of young women who are breaking the glass ceiling and showing us what is achievable with a strong vision, confidence and a close connection to your audience.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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H.E. Dr. Amel Karboul is an author, politician, business leader and overall changemaker, who today serves as CEO of The Education Outcomes Fund, a UNICEF hosted trust fund that supports governments to help improve the education and skills of children and youth across the world.

She was the first woman in history to occupy Tunisia’s Minister of Tourism position and co-led the country’s transition after the Arab Spring, leading to Tunisia obtaining the Nobel Peace prize in 2015. Prior to becoming a politician, Amel held a number of leadership positions in the corporate, political and not-for-profit sectors for over 25 years including The Maghreb Economic Forum, Mercedes-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and the Boston Consulting Group.  She recently published the 2nd edition of her book, Coffin Corner, outlining a new leadership culture in line with dynamics of the 21st century. 

In this episode, Amel speaks to host Eva Hartling about her impressive professional journey; she covers the tough lessons she learned along the way, including the harsh reality of being an agent of change and the obstacles women face when reaching any levels of power or success. 

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Chloe Songer is the co-founder of Thousand Fell, the New York-based sneaker company which offers a line of biodegradable shoes to promote circularity, with the goal of changing how footwear is both produced and consumed. 

Before coming up with the idea of Thousand Fell in 2018, Chloe spent time in retailer Gap’s Rotational Management Program program, learning about innovative ways to create fabrics. She saw firsthand how companies manufacture their goods and how technology has become so advanced that there is no reason to make products that don’t prioritize sustainability anymore. 

Chloe speaks to host Eva Hartling about the benefits of working for big players early in one’s career, the power of networking and the reality of raising capital as a female founder. 

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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The Brand is Female is starting the year with the one and only Penny Abeywardena, New York City’s Commissioner for International Affairs. In her role, Penny acts as the ambassador for the largest city administration in North America. But what makes her story so fascinating is the fact that she’s overcome major hurdles along her journey. Penny came to the US as an undocumented immigrant from Sri Lanka and put herself through an Ivy League education, paving the way to impressive professional opportunities. Prior to joining the City of New York, Penny worked on Women’s Rights for the Clinton Global Initiative; she’s also been an advisor to the Biden-Harris Policy Committee. She is an advocate against domestic violence, inspired by her own experience; and is a champion of sustainability and human rights. Penny and her work have been recognized by global leaders, from the UN to the World Economic Forum.

In this episode, learn more about Penny’s journey, find out what keeps her motivated and driven to have impact, and what she hopes changes after January 20, 2021.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Anne Martel is the co-founder of Element AI, a Montreal-based AI startup that was deemed an almost overnight success—it was backed by some of the world’s biggest AI companies and it raised hundreds of millions of dollars from the likes of Microsoft and Intel, among others. 

In the fall of 2020, it was announced that Element AI had been sold to an IT services company, making it Anne’s second successful exit as an entrepreneur.

The Brand is Female Host Eva Hartling speaks to Anne about what it’s like to be one of the elusive women in tech, about how the tech and the investment industries are evolving to make space for female leaders and about what still makes it so challenging for women in the startup space. 

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Sinead Bovell made the transition from Fashion Model to Futurist, Speaker, Youth Tech Leader and Founder of WAYE, a platform that aims to bridge the gap between young entrepreneurs and the digital future. She has spoken on this topic at the UN, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on technology and the future and she’s guest-lectured at pretty impressive establishments including Cornell University, on topics ranging from entrepreneurship to the future of work. Sinead is Canadian but now calls New York City home.

Sinead spoke to host Eva Hartling about the future and what opportunities lie ahead for young women while addressing the obstacles we still need to overcome.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Marissa Freed is the President of FREED and FREED, a Canadian garment manufacturer founded over 100 years ago. Since taking over the reins from her father, Marissa has made FREED evolve to offer an array of new products — their teddy coat has been quite the editorial favourite these past few winters, among other pieces. When facing the start of the Covid pandemic, Marissa led her team through a pivot (forgive us the use of the dreaded word) and literally started to produce PPE, including masks, for frontline workers as well as consumers. Marissa wanted to be able to give back to the community and decided to partner with Indigo Arrows, a Winnnipeg-based Anishinaabe design company. The two brands created a limited edition mask collaboration, with a portion of profits benefiting an organization offering support to Indigenous communities. 

Listen to Marissa’s journey as an entrepreneur and as a mom; even though she didn’t imagine she’d follow in her father’s footsteps one day and take over the reins of the family’s business, she’s definitely putting her mark on the the FREED brand today.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Dr Cara Miller has held several roles in the fields of leadership, organizational change, spiritual and adult development. She has taught at the University of San Diego and for Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education; and while today she does less teaching and more consulting and coaching, she is an expert when it comes to helping leaders unlock their full potential, in the workplace and as humans in general. In this episode, Dr Miller addresses today’s often toxic corporate culture (something host Eva Hartling knows a thing or two about) and speaks of obstacles women specifically can overcome, by shifting their mindset to access the opportunities ahead of them. If you’ve wondered about what’s wrong with today’s work culture, or asked yourself how you can be a conscious leader, this episode is for you.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Erin Beatty is a well-known name in the fashion world. You may know her from the former globally successful womenswear label Suno, but do you know what really transpired after the brand’s closure? Picture this, it’s 2016, Donald Trump has just been elected President of the United States, and you’re still healing from the emotional strain of dealing with the broken system that is the fashion industry. Erin found herself at an all-time low, trying to figure out what was next and how she could contribute to the world of fashion in a meaningful way. That’s when she turned her focus to vintage garments, and her new fashion line, Rentrayage, was born.

In this episode, host Eva Hartling and Erin discuss the challenges facing today’s fashion and lifestyle businesses, the pressure placed on women founders to not only be in the spotlight, but to be content creators- 24/7, and why she chose a slower life; a decision that took her from the bustling streets of Manhattan to the quiet countryside in Connecticut.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Dr. Britt Wray, PhD and post-doctoral fellow, is a globally-renowned expert on Climate Crisis Dread, studying the link between mental health and the eco-crisis. Between her newsletter, aptly named Gen Dread, her broadcasting gigs, and her books (both published and soon to be published), Dr. Wray is an authority on staying sane while facing the climate crisis. In this episode, Britt and host Eva Hartling cover the intersection of feminism and climate issues, how the pandemic has effectively reprogrammed the DNA of our global consciousness, and how racial and health inequities have been amplified by the pandemic; revealing how broken our system truly is. 

Want to hear more from Britt? Tune into BBC podcast's Tomorrow's World, where she co-hosts alongside Ellie Cosgrave. No stranger to science broadcasting, her resume also includes hosting CBC Radio’s national science show: Quirks and Quarks. Her production credits include the likes of numerous other programs for CBC, NPR, and celebrated podcasts such as Love and Radio. Britt is an Associate Partner at Dare Disrupt and is currently directing an interactive documentary series with the National Film Board of Canada. She has also hosted with CBC The Nature of Things on a feature TV documentary, The Nature of Invention. 

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Have you met the woman behind the vegan shoe? Meet Tina Bhojwani, co-founder and CEO of fashion brand AERA. A high-powered fashion executive for over 2 decades, her resume includes leadership roles at global fashion brands like Donna Karan, Theory and Dolce & Gabbana. Over the course of her tenure in the industry, she came to recognize the need for change as both a business imperative and a human one. That's why she created sustainable footwear brand AERA. The company's mission is to address environmental and social challenges, with a goal to redefine what we know as the status-quo. In this episode, you'll hear Tina and host Eva Hartling discuss challenges she faces as a pioneer for eco-friendly materials, how her human approach is shaking up the luxury space and what this strategy can mean in terms of impact on the planet.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Soraya Chemaly is an award-winning journalist and author whose writing appears regularly in media around the world. Her work centres around defining what it means to be a woman in a world built by men. Her narrative skill, careful research, and humorous tone have been described by the New Yorker as "relentless and revelatory." In her book, Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger, Soraya uses these skills to offer a critical look at the social construction of anger and its effects on women's lives. Soraya and host Eva Hartling share an invigorating conversation about why women should be angry, the 'steps backward' we have taken when it comes to gender equity, which has now been further amplified by the impact of the pandemic, and the many other nuances of living in the 'boxes' that society has created for women.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Hajer Nakua is a mental health researcher and advocate for Muslim women in STEM. She uses her online platforms to share the latest research about mental health and neuroscience with her North American and Middle Eastern followers, in both English and Arabic. Currently a Ph.D. candidate studying neuroscience, her research uses brain imaging technology to get a better understanding of mental health and psychiatric conditions in patients. Through her research, Hajer hopes to uncover biological markers specific to different mental illnesses to help with treatment and diagnosis. Hajer is especially interested in the special attributes that make each of us unique, including as it relates to our brain and mental illness. You can feel the passion that Hajer has for her work in this fascinating conversation with host Eva Hartling.

This episode, along with several more this month, is presented in partnership with CAMH and womenmind™, a community of philanthropists and thought leaders tackling the unique gender issues that underrepresented people face when it comes to their mental health. Women’s mental health is a challenge on two main fronts: first, we experience depression, anxiety, and trauma to a greater extent than men, and next, women in science face biases as they work to advance their careers. An initiative like womenmind™ is critical to address the gender inequities we face in this area. Find out more about CAMH and womenmind™.

If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, they can call 1-833-456-4566. If they require immediate care, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

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Visit:

TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com //

TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business //

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Would you be brave enough to share your own struggles with mental health, if it meant helping just one other person? Meet Carole Dagher, VP of Legal at Loblaw Group of Companies in Toronto, as well as mental health patient at CAMH. Through her own journey, Carole has become a mental health advocate for the organization. Born and raised in Lebanon, she came to Canada at the age of 13. She started her law career practicing in the Capital Markets group at a top-tier New York law firm, then spending over a decade in progressively senior legal roles in the financial services industry. Carole’s mental health journey started when she was diagnosed with post-partum after the birth of her daughter, and you will hear her tell the rest of her story in this interview. Trigger warning: please be advised this episode includes discussions of mental distress and trauma.

This episode, along with several more this month, is presented in partnership with CAMH and womenmind™, a community of philanthropists and thought leaders tackling the unique gender issues that underrepresented people face when it comes to their mental health. Women’s mental health is a challenge on two main fronts: first, we experience depression, anxiety, and trauma to a greater extent than men, and next, women in science face biases as they work to advance their careers. An initiative like womenmind™ is critical to address the gender inequities we face in this area. Find out more about CAMH and womenmind™.

If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, they can call 1-833-456-4566. If they require immediate care, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

————

Visit:

TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com //

TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business //

Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

"Power has been so successful at denigrating women. It’s a specific pattern of patriarchy in terms of taking us away from one another. So what happens to you is something incredibly shameful that you must carry alone; an NDA may be put in front of you, and the threats are always personal. They threaten your economic security. The fact that you’re violated and you’re met with threats indicates what they’re afraid of."

This week's guest on The Brand is Female is Koa Beck, acclaimed author of the best-selling book ‘White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to influencers and Who They Leave Behind,' published in January. Koa is the former editor-in-chief of Jezebel, previously the executive director of Vogue.com, and senior features editor at MarieClaire.com. To add to her impressive resumé, in 2019, Koa was was awarded the Joan Shorenstein Fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School, and she published an academic paper entitled “Self-Optimization in the Face of Patriarchy: How Mainstream Women’s Media Facilitates White Feminism.” This became her jumping-off point and inspiration in writing White Feminist. In this eye-opening episode, Koa and Eva Hartling, discuss her book, and how our society has commodified feminism and continues to systemically shut out women of colour.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing, and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

————

Visit:

TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com //

TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business //

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As a recognized thought leader on gender equality, diversity, and inclusion, Deborah has dedicated her career to driving social change. Prior to joining CAMH, Deborah was President & CEO of Catalyst, a global non-profit that helps build workplaces that work for women. Deborah began her career in the public sector, where her early work focused on employment equity, anti-racism, and LGBTQ2+ rights. She went on to become a consultant and practice leader with global professional service firms. There, she championed initiatives to mentor women. Additionally, Deborah worked in the Nova Scotia government and stood as a candidate for elected office. Listen to this episode to hear about Deborah expertly mixes her passion, strategic vision, and entrepreneurial spirit to lead the CAMH Foundation and transform how Canadians understand and address mental illness, in the workplace and in society.

This episode, along with several more this month, is presented in partnership with CAMH and womenmind™, a community of philanthropists and thought leaders tackling the unique gender issues that underrepresented people face when it comes to their mental health. Women’s mental health is a challenge on two main fronts: first, we experience depression, anxiety, and trauma to a greater extent than men, and next, women in science face biases as they work to advance their careers. An initiative like womenmind™ is critical to address the gender inequities we face in this area. Find out more about CAMH and womenmind™.

If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, they can call 1-833-456-4566. If they require immediate care, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing, and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!

————

Visit:

TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com //

TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business //

Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale