Women & Courage with Sarah Lajeunesse

Today on the Women & Courage podcast I’m in conversation with my friend, former boss, and informal lifelong mentor, Valerie Pek, Principal of BALDWIN + BRANT. Nearing two decades of experience on behalf of brands, properties and agencies - Valerie brings a unique understanding of the brand journey from all perspectives and the impact on key stakeholders. Her career began in media with Corus Entertainment and Global Television and then shifted to pro sport where she led the Marketing and Corporate Partnerships teams for the Calgary Stampeders for eight successful seasons. She went on to lead strategic partnerships for AppColony, an innovative digital agency, launching a number of award winning products into the market. This experience further ignited a passion for growing brands digitally and creative approaches to building community. Having created numerous impactful brand strategies and activations in sport, tech, entertainment, lifestyle and retail - her expertise in marketing, sponsorship activations, branding, community and corporate partnerships, CSR strategy, digital and live event management has led to launching her own Toronto based brand agency BALDWIN + BRANT, whose extensive client list has included Woodbine Entertainment, Movember, Sundial Cannabis, The Grey Cup Festival, The Calgary Stampede, Curling Canada, Marble Slab Creamery and New Era Cap Co. When not in the office, you can find Valerie with friends exploring a new region or cuisine or recording another episode of her podcast “New Dog. Now What?”. She is a lifelong learner and is happiest starting her day with a motivational podcast and a challenging spin class and ending it with a glass of wine shared with friends and family. In this episode we discuss: * The power and importance of developing a brand purpose in business. * The key people Valerie surrounds herself with to increase the likelihood of her own personal and professional success. * The fears that Valerie experiences as an entrepreneur and how she navigates through them. * The importance of betting on yourself and being willing to fail. * Valerie’s personal experience holding senior-level positions in the male-dominated industry of sports. * Why it’s important to seek out and connect with the people who are where you want to be. * Valerie’s company BALDWIN + BRANT, and her pandemic project turned podcast, “New Dog. Now What? * And so much more. Learn more about Valerie and BALDWIN + BRANT at: BALDWIN + BRANT Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/baldwinandbrant/] and Website [https://www.baldwinandbrant.com/] Podcast: New Dog. Now What? [https://anchor.fm/newdognowwhat] Guest Info: Nearing two decades of experience on behalf of brands, properties and agencies - Valerie brings a unique understanding of the brand journey from all perspectives and the impact on key stakeholders. Her career began in media with Corus Entertainment and Global Television and then shifted to pro sport where she led the Marketing and Corporate Partnerships teams for the Calgary Stampeders for eight successful seasons. She went on to lead strategic partnerships for AppColony, an innovative digital agency, launching a number of award winning products into the market. This experience further ignited a passion for growing brands digitally and creative approaches to building community. Having created numerous impactful brand strategies and activations in sport, tech, entertainment, lifestyle and retail - her expertise in marketing, sponsorship activations, branding, community and corporate partnerships, CSR strategy, digital and live event management has led to launching her own Toronto based brand agency BALDWIN + BRANT, whose extensive client list has included Woodbine Entertainment, Movember, Sundial Cannabis, The Grey Cup Festival, The Calgary Stampede, Curling Canada, Marble Slab Creamery and New Era Cap Co. When not in the office, you can find Valerie with friends exploring a new region or cuisine or recording another episode of her podcast “New Dog. Now What?”. She is a lifelong learner and is happiest starting her day with a motivational podcast and a challenging spin class and ending it with a glass of wine shared with friends and family.

Today on the Women & Courage podcast, I’m in conversation with my dear friend, Lisa Norman. Lisa is the Founder and CEO of For The Love Of Cups, a patient and breast cancer advocacy nonprofit organization. The organization was created out of an urgent need Lisa discovered during her own journey, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer to better inform patients and bridge the gap in support and outcomes. Lisa is a breast cancer survivor, mother of three daughters and has a family history of strong women who have also fought this horrible disease. When she was told she had dense breast tissue Lisa was shocked to learn how common it was, how underreported and under screened this major risk factor is. Lisa is devoted to changing this by spreading education to empower others with the tools and knowledge they need to be their own best healthcare advocate. A women’s health and wellness leader and educator, Lisa has earned a Masters in the Science of Midwifery. She practiced many years as a Midwife prior to her breast cancer diagnosis in 2014 and turning her attention toward breast density notification, policy, access to care and a more holistic approach to supporting people facing breast cancer. Love is behind everything that Lisa believes in, it is her driving force. Inspired by her mom and motivated by her daughters she has made For The Love Of Cups her mission, to beat cancer so her daughters won't have to. In This episode we discuss: * Lisa’s experience when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer, and how her experience led her to creating For The Love Of Cups in order to bridge the gap in support and outcomes. * The importance of providing adequate education and access to advanced screening early on in a woman's diagnosis so that every woman has the best opportunity of survival, and the dangerous reality Lisa discovered that - without complete screening methods which aren’t often reinforced - mammograms are being cleared without the full picture (i.e. additional ultrasounds or MRIs). * The vision Lisa has and the community that has been created that provides education, advocacy, and support for every woman going through the journey. * The universal kick in the pants Lisa received that made her realize she had to create this life-saving non-profit that has supported (and will continue to support) so many women around the world. * Lisa’s advice for any woman who has a big vision and how to trust themselves in taking the first steps. * The number one thing that supported Lisa in bringing her vision to life, and how it supported her in moving through her own fears. * ..and so much more. Learn more about Lisa at: Lisa’s personal Website [https://www.lisamalia.co/] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lovelisamalia/?hl=en]. For The Love Of Cups Website [https://www.fortheloveofcups.org/ig] & Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/fortheloveofcups/?hl=en] Download the Mammogram Guide [https://www.fortheloveofcups.org/mammogram-guide] Guest Info: Lisa Norman is the Founder and CEO of For The Love Of Cups, patient and breast cancer advocacy nonprofit organization. The organization was created out of an urgent need Lisa discovered during her own journey, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer to better inform patients and bridge the gap in support and outcomes. Lisa is a breast cancer survivor, mother of three daughters and has a family history of strong women who have also fought this horrible disease. When she was told she had dense breast tissue Lisa was shocked to learn how common it was, how underreported and under screened this major risk factor is. Lisa is devoted to changing this by spreading education to empower others with the tools and knowledge they need to be their own best healthcare advocate. A women’s health and wellness leader and educator, Lisa has earned a Masters in the Science of Midwifery. She practiced many years as a Midwife prior to her breast cancer diagnosis in 2014 and turning her attention toward breast density notification, policy, access to care and a more holistic approach to supporting people facing breast cancer. Love is behind everything that Lisa believes in, it is her driving force. Inspired by her mom and motivated by her daughters she has made For The Love Of Cups (4TLC) her mission, to beat cancer so her daughters won't have to. "Until I can tell my daughters that there is a cure, I will not be cancer free" Lisa Norman Together we can provide education and access to advanced screening so that all are given a fighting chance and benefit from an early diagnosis. Until no more mothers, sisters, daughters and men are lost to this disease, until the suffering of our loved ones has ended, we must not stop. When Lisa isn’t leading or attending a wellness workshop, writing or advocating you can find her with her daughters, hiking on a trail somewhere, attempting to do yoga or sampling the local wines.

Today on the Women & Courage podcast, I’m in conversation with Jade Bryan, a Women’s Financial Literacy Advocate born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario. Jade’s affinity for telling a brand’s story and connecting with their audience has given her the opportunity to manage social media accounts for companies across many different fields, taking her career from fashion to finance and everywhere in between. This, combined with over 10 years of working in the financial industry with a major Canadian bank, has led Jade to become passionate about fostering an online community that empowers women in all things personal finance. She believes that financial literacy is the key to independence, and can help women take their future into their own hands. In this episode we discuss: * Jade’s personal experience in taking control of her finances and how that led her to wanting to support other women do the same. * The guilt and embarrassment that women commonly feel when discussing their finances, and why we need to break this cycle that further perpetuates the shame around money. * The gender pay gap, the gender investment gap, and the multiple other areas that lead to women struggling with finances, and the steps to start taking control. * The destructive and toxic advice from some Money experts in the industry which isn’t always designed to benefit women. * Where to start if you want to get out of debt. * How delaying putting money towards your retirement by even five years can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. * Low-risk vs. high-risk investments, RRSPs, TFSAs, mortgages, and so much more to kick start your journey on becoming more financially literate. Learn more about Jade at: Jade’s Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jadenicolebryan/?hl=en] Guest Info: Born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Jade’s affinity for telling a brand’s story and connecting with their audience has given her the opportunity to manage social media accounts for companies across many different fields, taking her career from fashion to finance and everywhere in between. This, combined with over 10 years of working in the financial industry with a major Canadian bank, has led Jade to become passionate about fostering an online community that empowers women in all things personal finance. She believes that financial literacy is the key to independence, and can help women take their future into their own hands.

Today on the Women & Courage podcast, I’m in conversation with Michelle Kwok, Co-Founder of FLIK, which stands for Female Laboratory of Innovative Knowledge) a platform that was created to merge the gap between female founders looking for helping hands on their businesses and female students looking for career-relevant experiences and mentorship. At FLIK, Michelle leads marketing/sales, business development, partnerships, events, communications, and media. FLIK’s community members come from over 53 countries around the world and are continuing to expand globally. Since January 2020 Flik has matched over 1800 womxn in apprenticeships and shows no signs of slowing down! Michelle has spoken at 60+ events on entrepreneurship, womxn empowerment, diversity & inclusion, and breaking traditional barriers via her unconventional career path. She has been honoured as YWCA's Young Woman of Distinction and a Conversationa-LIST GenZ Honoree. She’s a proud alum of NEXT 36, Entrepreneurship Hub University of British Columbia, Startup Edmonton, UNLEASH, and League of Innovators where Michelle serves on the alumni advisory council. In this episode we discuss: * Why Michelle questioned the traditional definition of success encouraged by her family, society, and her culture, and the courageous steps it took to carve out her own path (hint.. it includes a powerpoint that she presented to her parents). * How a mental breakdown, a lack of WOC representation in the Founder space, and Michelle’s questioning of belonging led to the A-ha moment behind FLIK. * How Flik matched 1400 women in apprenticeship in 48 countries in the year of launching and continues to expand, globally. * How Michelle continues to work through the imposter complex, the idea of failure, and other fears that have emerged along her journey. * The top barriers that Michelle sees that prevent female founders from excelling. * Michelle’s vision for FLIK and how to get involved whether you’re a female founder, a leader, or a student. * ...and so much more. Learn more about Michelle at: Her personal Instagram [http://instagram.com/mkwoks], LinkedIn [http://linkedin.com/in/michellebkwok], Twitter [http://twitter.com/michellebkwok] FLIK's Instagram [http://instagram.com/weareflik], LinkedIn [http://linkedin.com/company/weareflik], Twitter [http://twitter.com/weareflik], and Facebook [http://facebook.com/weareflik] FLIK's website: https://weareflik.com [https://weareflik.com/] Guest Info: Michelle and her Co-Founder Ravina officially launched FLIK in January 2020 to merge the gap between female founders looking for helping hands on their businesses and female students looking for career-relevant experiences and mentorship. FLIK’s community members come from over 53 countries around the world and they continue to expand, globally. Since January 2020 Flik has matched over 1800 womxn in apprenticeships and shows no signs of slowing down. Michelle has spoken at 60+ events on entrepreneurship, womxn empowerment, diversity & inclusion, and breaking traditional barriers via her unconventional career path. She has been honoured as YWCA's Young Woman of Distinction and a Conversationa-LIST GenZ Honoree. She’s a proud alum of NEXT 36, Entrepreneurship Hub University of British Columbia, Startup Edmonton, UNLEASH, and League of Innovators where Michelle serves on the alumni advisory council. At FLIK, Michelle leads marketing/sales, business development, partnerships, events, communications, and media.

Today on the Women & Courage Podcast, I’m in conversation with one of my dear friends, Brodie Lawson. Brodie’s a host for the Canadian Football League and a lead voice for the content generated from the CFL’s head office which reaches 12 million fans nationwide. Brodie can also be seen on TSN as a contributor to Thursday Night Football and TSN’s horse racing coverage for Racing Night Live. In addition to interviewing players and coaches from across the league, Brodie has also had the opportunity to interview some of the biggest names in entertainment including Keith Urban, Shania Twain, Alessia Cara and OneRepublic. Knowing the male-dominated industry of sports well, Brodie shares her experience and insights on so many important topics and encourages all women to give themselves the grace to see that the parts of us that we find unattractive, are actually what makes us great. We dive into the importance of being willing to take a leap of faith when fear of failure or inadequacy presents itself. We discuss the power of female representation in leadership positions and the importance of having supportive male mentors, and how we need to revise the definition of mentorship into one that includes more humanity and empathy for others. In this episode we discuss: * That faith and fear cannot coexist and refusing to let fear prevent you from doing what excites you. * Giving ourselves the grace to see the parts of us that we find unattractive, are actually what makes us great. * Using your privilege to support and open doors which are inaccessible for others. * The importance of supportive male mentors and how they played a role in Brodie’s career. * Redefining mentorship with more humanity and empathy for others. * What to do when you get negative criticism privately or publicly, and how Brodie navigated through her own experiences in the public eye. * The courage of using your voice even when it scares you, and so much more. Learn more about Brodie at: Instagram: @brodielawson Twitter: @BrodieLawson Guest Info: Brodie Lawson is a host for the Canadian Football League and a lead voice for content generated from the CFL’s head office on a weekly basis reaching 12 million fans nationwide. Brodie can also be seen on TSN as a contributor to Thursday Night Football and TSN’s horse racing coverage for Racing Night Live. In addition to interviewing players and coaches from across the league, Brodie has also had the opportunity to interview some of the biggest names in entertainment including Keith Urban, Shania Twain, Alessia Cara and OneRepublic.