The Brand is Female

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Vera Milan Gervais, an author, speaker, and award-winning serial entrepreneur who is committed to helping women develop the confidence to show up and succeed in business. Vera Milan Gervais has successfully built a number of businesses throughout her career. She is currently Co-Founder and Executive VP of HealthConnect Inc, a company that manages medical information services, as well as customer care and health education programs on behalf of companies in various industries. But Vera’s latest project, her signature Wordz We Wear program, explores how labels shape who we are and who we can become. Through her mentorship services, Vera helps women let go of limiting beliefs and tap into their full potential. Vera’s experience as an entrepreneur, writer, marketer and strategic consultant has shaped her perspective on success and well-being. Before she turned 18, a birth defect resulted in four major surgeries and left her with a leg length difference, scoliosis and osteoarthritis. Vera is an avid hiker, gardener, traveller, photographer and an accomplished businesswoman. In my exchange with Vera, you’ll hear her insights and words of wisdom — sure to inspire any woman in the workplace, especially entrepreneurs building new ventures from the ground up.This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Allison McNamara, founder of MARA, a prestige line of algae-infused skincare that became an instant favourite, selling out at retailers such as Sephora, Credo Beauty, Bluemercury and The Detox Market. Before launching MARA, Allison was a television host, producer and fashion & beauty journalist for outlets like POPSUGAR, Refinery 29, Who What Wear and Entertainment Tonight. Growing up in California, Allison has always been inspired by the sea. She spent two years developing the MARA exclusive algae blend, which has been clinically designed to plump, firm and smooth, with ingredients harvested through wild collecting in France and Ireland. MARA's first-to-market, award-winning formulas are made from algae, transformative actives, superfoods, adaptogens and mega hydrators. In this episode, find out how Allison built a successful skincare brand starting with only one product.This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Knoxx, the New York-based creative director for the brand DVMNPIGEON. Knoxx is redefining the rules of streetwear — traditionally a space for straight men — through her identity as a masculine-presenting woman who is part of the LGBTQ2S+ community. In 2011, Knoxx created DVMNPIGEON with the hopes of representing girls like herself, typically left out of the streetwear industry. She caught her big break after being casted in HBO Max’s The Hype, a streetwear design competition show, where she quickly made a name for herself thanks to her raw persona and impeccable design talent. She was a stranger to entrepreneurship but knew she had to make a space for women of colour like herself.This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Marissa Goldstein, founder and owner of Toronto-based The Daughter Natural Wine Bar + Bottle Shop, a wine bar that focuses on farm-to-table dishes to accompany a curated selection of unique wines. Marissa did not follow a straight path into the restaurant business. Before opening The Daughter, she gave up a career in real estate to move to New York. There, she enrolled in the International Culinary Center and later learned the ropes at Loring Place in Greenwich Village and Blue Hill Stone Barns in upstate New York—which is where she fell in love with farm cooking. Lucky for us, she came back to Toronto. In this conversation, you will hear about Marissa’s journey connecting with her true passion, and turning it into a successful business.This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Nadine Artemis, Founder of the celebrated, and cult-status natural skincare brand, Living Libations. Nadine Artemis created a line of all-natural skincare before the category became a trend. Her line of products, for which she sources the best raw ingredients from across the planet, has received rave reviews in leading publications from The New York Times to Elle, People and Vogue. Having been described by Alanis Morissette as "a true-sense visionary,” Nadine is still dedicated today to crafting elegant formulations and healing creations from rare botanicals and she plans on doing so until she is at least 120! Her concept of Renegade Beauty supports effortlessness and inspires people to rethink conventional notions of beauty and wellness. Nadine has chosen to grow the brand organically (pun intended) over time, and continues to be extremely selective about the retailers she works with, favouring a small batch and limited release approach, always placing her connection to customers, and to Mother Nature, first. This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Jane Riddell, President of GoodLife Fitness. With over 40 years of experience, Jane has worked in various roles within GoodLife and its parent company, from selling memberships to C-suite. As a member of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, Jane is committed to creating inclusive environments and supports diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. She has played a key role in shaping the company's culture at GoodLife Fitness, and ensuring decisions align with its core values. She believes that people are the heart of any business and actively shares her knowledge and experiences for personal and professional development. Recognized for her contributions, she has been named one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women and one of the Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity. Beyond her professional life, Jane is passionate about animal welfare and serves as a board member for Golden Rescue, an organization dedicated to rescuing and re-homing Golden Retrievers. She holds a bachelor's degree in anthropology and a master's degree in physical education from Western University, where she excelled as a varsity athlete and captain of the basketball team.This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Anna Sinclair, a former actor and performer who had to pause her career when she became pregnant. That’s when she started her business, Total Mom, which serves a community of mom entrepreneurs through its programs and partnerships, including Total Mom Pitch, where entrepreneurs across Canada can apply for $50,000 in grants and services. As the Founder and CEO of Total Mom Inc., Anna is dedicated to offering a professional community network to help women founders start and grow their businesses while juggling motherhood. She is also the Founder of the Canadian Women Entrepreneurs Gala, which recognizes and honours leading companies' influential programs, campaigns, and CSR initiatives that have paved the way for a more equal and diverse ecosystem for women in business.This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

This week, host Eva Hartling speaks with Melody Adhami, the “Queen of Apps.” Melody launched Ontario’s first private testing operation during Covid, with labs that conducted over 350,000 COVID tests for individuals and companies. Her latest tech venture is also in health, supporting women's fertility journey. Melody had quit her steady job working on brands like Dove, Hellmann's and Lipton to launch Plastic Mobile, a company that focuses on the emerging world of mobile apps. After a successful exit, she co-founded FH Health, Ontario's first private testing operation that helps businesses keep their workforces safe. FH Health became a leader in the Covid response with 20 clinics that provided individuals and clients such as Amazon, Apple, Netflix and BMO with a sense of relief and safety. Melody’s latest venture, Pollin, is based on a fertility-focused technology platform to power a full suite of person-centric reproductive health services. As an influential leader in tech and a recognized voice in the industry, Melody also spearheads an executive women’s dinner, bringing together top female executives to discuss how to get more women into more senior leadership roles. In 2017 she was awarded Canada’s Top 40 under 40, followed by recognition as one of Canada’s Top 100 Powerful Women in both 2018 and 2019 in the Tech and Trailblazer categories.This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Emily O’Brien, founder of Comeback Snacks. Emily’s unlikely journey into the popcorn business began in 2018 while serving time at a federal prison for drug smuggling. Despite being behind bars, she managed to produce a product and support its launch, making it a successful business. Emily transformed an obstacle into an opportunity. The idea for a popcorn brand came to her while watching the 2018 Super Bowl when she was enjoying the flavoured popcorn her fellow inmates had created. Emily used her network outside of prison to conduct market research on the popcorn industry. A few months later, her brand became a viable business, with approval from Correctional Service Canada. When Emily was released from custody in December 2018, she was ready to take her business to the next level, and today, Comeback Snacks line of products is available in close to 1,000 stores throughout Canada. Where possible, Comeback Snacks hires people with criminal backgrounds or helps them find work through their partners. As well, the company aims to provide a portion of profits to organizations focused on reintegration programs and prison reform.This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. 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 in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

Dans le cadre de ses fonctions, Yolande accompagne Radio-Canada dans ses projets liés à l'inclusion et la diversité, en plus de développer et renforcer les liens de Radio-Canada avec les communautés et l'industrie. Elle contribue aussi à l'atteinte des objectifs de recrutement et de promotion en matière de diversité. Cette conversation a lieu juste au moment où nous publions un rapport spécial sur l'équité entre les sexes en milieu de travail, en collaboration avec nos partenaires à Randstad Canada. Dans le monde d'aujourd'hui, où la pénurie de talents, le vieillissement de la population et un contexte commercial post-pandémique axé sur la technologie et où les frontières se sont effacées, il n'est pas surprenant que la création d'un environnement de travail inclusif, équitable et accessible produise de meilleurs résultats en termes de performance et d'engagement. Mais les entreprises mettent-elles vraiment en pratique ce qu'elles prêchent ? Pour les femmes canadiennes, la situation n'est pas aussi brillante que les entreprises pourraient le laisser croire. Selon une étude nationale menée par Randstad Canada, les femmes estiment que le rythme du changement est lent. Malgré une sensibilisation accrue à l'équité, les femmes disent qu'on ne leur offre toujours pas les mêmes opportunités qu'aux hommes.Dans cette conversation avec Yolande James, nous explorons comment et pourquoi la mise en œuvre de l'équité entre les sexes garantit une culture du travail où chacun peut s'épanouir, et où les femmes peuvent sentir que les éléments appropriés sont en place pour une expérience positive qui soutient leur croissance. Pour en savoir plus sur notre rapport sur l'égalité des sexes, consultez le site thebrandisfemale.com.