OV Boss Babes

Maven Catering has been a staple in the Deep River community for quite some time now and I'm sure many of my listeners have sampled Carolyn Arnold's delicious meals at one point or another. But how did this seasoned world traveller who left home to explore restaurants in Australia, Cambodia, and Thailand, bring back sharpened skills, new recipes and seasoned flavours and wind up working... for an insurance agency?! Well that 9-5 corporate job didn't last long, as Carolyn's entrepreneurial spirit finally emerged as she gave her boss 3 month's notice and began the shift from employee to employer, launching Maven Catering and building a team of folks with a passion for providing great food to their local community. In this episode, we chat all about: 👩🏽‍🍳 How this Deep River local went from world traveller, to working in insurance to launching a successful catering biz 🤌🏼 Carolyn's award-winning catering strategies, from curating her menu to setting prices to offsetting overhead costs 🤦🏽‍♀️ Mixed up orders, too much food, customer complaints and dealing with price negotiations 🤔 How Carolyn (unintentionally and unconventionally!) landed huge corporate catering contracts with CNL and at the Hexagon Restaurant

Originally from India, Aneeta Jacob knew that she wanted to study abroad and study social services in Canada, coming to Canada in 2018 and landed on Algonquin College Pembroke Campus' Social Services Worker Program after reading that it was one of the top colleges to attend in Canada, relocating to the Ottawa Valley and graduating from the SSW program in 2020. Aneeta was one of Algonquin College Pembroke's first international student graduates and she reflects back on her time at school and in the Ottawa Valley fondly, reflecting on the skillsets she developed from her professors, the friendships she made and the community that embraced and welcomed her the minute she landed. Aneeta is now enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta and is eager to share her story for how she wants to become a driving force for change in rural health care and is eager to make a difference in social services and in the health care field.

Stacy Taylor's entry into entrepreneurship was an interesting one that just happened to come at the right time with a once-in-a-lifetime contest opportunity that she didn't want to miss out on. This former government worker turned business owner took a chance on herself and her business and left it all to go all in.... and was successful in winning the City of Pembroke's Win this Space contest in downtown Pembroke, securing her first location, courtesy of Sleepwell Property Management. Stacy shares her personal journey of leaving her records management job and going all in with her canning and home cooked meals business, expanding and growing her team after a short period of time, becoming involved in the community and taking on the role as Board Chair of the PBIA Board - and all the ups and downs of entrepreneurship!

This month on our Babe Beyond the Brand Series, we are diving into the fascinating world of adult ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), which is a neurodevelopmental condition that seems to be affecting more and more adults, many in which are women. Having ADHD affects how you pay attention, your sense of self control, simple forgetfulness, among other traits. And women specifically with adhd tend to not be diagnosed until later in life and end up with diagnoses of depression or anxiety for years before ADHD is ever part of the conversation. But in 2024, we have more access to information than we’ve ever had. And People are more willing to share their experiences with ADHD, which is helping lessen the stigma around mental health. Traditional ADHD therapy often involves assignments to complete between sessions - leading to disappointment when it doesn’t get done (because HELLO, ADHD!) I sit down with Jenna Free, certified ADHD therapist who sheds light on the often-overlooked world of ADHD, providing valuable insights and guidance for anyone navigating this complex condition.

OVBB is pleased to welcome Lindsey Gibeau, headshot and personal brand photographer! ✨STAND OUT. ✨GET SEEN.✨ ✨BUILD AN ABUNDANT BRAND.✨ Capturing the essence of luxury, style, sought-after brand photographer Lindsey Gibeau takes a seat and shares what it takes for entrepreneurs to create a visual brand that stands out while appearing confident, captivating and professional, connecting with their audience in a bolder way. 👑🥂 In this exclusive Spotify and YouTube episode, Lindsey spills industry secrets and the lessons, tricks and knowledge she has learned in her years of experience as a brand photographer, including: 📸 How she elevates women and their presence online through a unique storytelling digital aspect by constantly showing up with confidence and ease 💁🏽‍♀️ Why it is important for a brand to show their face and who the individual or individuals are behind a business 🤳🏼 How entrepreneurs can effectively use their photos from their digital portfolio beyond using them on their website in the "about me" section or on an introduction social media post 👯‍♀️ How Lindsey collaborates with other women in similar and different industries, including other photographers, makeup artists, hair stylists, and personal stylists to help their clients take their photography session to the next level

Erin Grace always loved animals and was initially torn between becoming a registered veterinary technician or a veterinarian but didn't want to go to spend all her time in school, so thus she chose to become an RVT, finding her passion specifically with horses. After moving to Smiths Falls and offering horse riding lessons, along with assisting friends with therapeutic care for their horses, Erin then became a certified Equine Massage Therapist, opening Equine Grace Therapy, providing therapeutic services to help improve the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of horses. This is an industry that relies heavily on reputation, word of mouth and education, as Erin continually demonstrates to her clients that it is more than just a "feel good" massage that she offers but an investment in their horse's well being, working on their fitness, injury prevention, lessening anxiety, etc. In this episode, Erin discusses: 🐴 The human-horse interaction and how we can gain their trust and develop a mutual partnership 🐴 The importance of horse business insurance and why it's crucial to protect your business, your horses and your clients 🐴 How she has structured Grace Equine Therapy to educate and encourage more people to consider horse therapy

✨💜 Ottawa Valley Fourth Annual Women's Collective 2024✨💜 This past International Women's Day, we welcomed four trailblazing boss babes: Jodie Primeau of Primeau Law, Kristin Leach of Hela Beauty and Medical, and Dr. Morgan Welburn of Renfrew Eye Clinic, where we will celebrated their personal empires and chatted intensely around three key themes: ✨Invest✨Inspire✨and Impact✨. This year, our conversation focused on: 💰 How to invest for success - key fundamentals that every entrepreneur needs in order to become successful. ✍🏻🗣️ Addressing the complex challenges women in business are facing and areas that you yourself have faced over the years of breaking into specific industries 🫱🏼‍🫲🏻 The importance of key partnerships, catalyst organizations, making connections both in and outside of your field and the value they hold 👑🙌🏻 How these three boss babes are making an impact, through ongoing innovation, expansion, and growth

Many of us stumble into entrepreneurship by pure destiny. And often times, what we envision our business will look like typically changes once we do decide to go all in. And that stands true for Jessica Yazdani, who initially had a dream of opening up a business in Merrickville but wound up purchasing a well known location in downtown Almonte. But her vision for carrying Canadian brands that values inclusivity, sustainability and quality was always a crucial component of her business values and when this opportunity presented itself to her, she was ready to go all in. In this episode, Jess and I chat about: 🫶🏼 How Jess' love for the former store, Doree's Habit, led her to eventually purchasing the store from Brodie O'Connor (aka one half of the Blondie Apparel babes!) 👀 How she faced imposter syndrome after taking over the store and changing the name (and the surprising attachment of customers to the former name) 👗 Inclusive sizing, why fashion helps boost your confidence, and how Grace + Sparrow promotes body positivity 📲 We dive into the power of social media, the importance of an effective Instagram bio that stands out, and attracting more foot traffic

Located in Perth, ON, HLK Macarons is a micro-bakery born out of passion from baker and dessert enthusiast, Heather Kay, who specializes in making Italian macarons. In this episode, Heather and I chat about: 🍥 How Heather started her micro-bakery and how she approached HLK Macarons with a business mindset 🍥 How Heather determined her price points by adding her mark up to calculated costs so that her customers are getting a quality product and she is making a solid profit 🍥 Tough hurdles Heather has experienced in the bakery business, from standing out on the socials, not worrying about her following count, and rude male counterparts 🍥 How Small Business Centre's Starter Company Plus Program helped Heather modify her business plan to help with her growth and success

Nala's Kitchen aims to provide delicious, authentic Indian cuisine, including rare South Indian delicacies, to the Ottawa Valley and surrounding areas throughout Ontario and Quebec. And with Divya Vivekanandan's expertise, traditional family recipes, and commitment to sustainability through local sourcing and eco-friendly practices, she ensures that you will enjoy a wholesome culinary experience through Nala's Kitchen ! In this episode... ✈️ Divya shares how at only 22, she immigrated to Canada and after relocating to the Ottawa Valley, knew she wanted to share her southern Indian cousine recipes 🥘 We talk about the challenges being a new cultural business, such as introducing foods to a rural community beyond traditional butter chicken and naan bread 💰We discuss Divya's pricing strategy - how she considered supply costs and preparation time to guarantee competitive yet profitable pricing 🫶🏼 We talk about rise of Indian cousine in the Ottawa Valley and why Divya thinks it has become so popular with locals

For more than a decade, Becky Wright has been helping organizations identify challenges, navigate change, and turn their plans into reality. Two of her favourite words are “challenge” and “change," which are the concepts that drives and fuels her passion for Project Management. With her career starting out as an administrative assistant CNL and flourishing over the next 15 years of progressive responsibility in project management, training and process improvement, she decided to pursue her dream of running my own business, launching Milestone Scheduling & Consulting in 2016, resigning from her full time job in 2017 and is proud to have Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. as two of her valued consulting clients. In this episode, we chat about: 💫 Becky's journey as a dedicated government employee turned entrepreneur as she reflects on important mentors, colleagues and family who supported her dreams 💫 Becky spills how she strategically prepared to leave her government job and successfully work in project management without there being any conflict of interests 💫 We learn about working with corporate customers and teams, mitigating risks, recruitment strategies, late deliverables and more! 💫 We chat about representation of women in project management and leadership, celebrating women in the corporate world

Growing up, Amy Robinson was immersed in her family-owned floral business, Keith's Flowers and Plants. Since early childhood, she accumulated a wealth of creativity and design expertise, finding her passion in the floral profession, but this wildflower realized that the 9-5 work-life just wasn't for her - and so, she opened Fleurish in the heart of Petawawa. Although this passionate floral entrepreneur boasts that business is typically flowery and fun, as the saying goes, every rose has it thorn, and that means that in this episode, Amy enlightens us with the grits and grind behind the counter... and things get a pit prickly around here! 🌵😉 In this episode, Amy and I chat all about: 💐 Amy's connection to flowers and how they solidified that becoming a florist is iltimately what she wanted to do 🥀 The misrepresentation with online flower delivery companies and why it's a gamble when you order flowers online (and hurts our local florists!) 🌹 We talk about the unspoken floral holiday hustle and stressed out seasons, and how Any and her team persevere and get by during those crazy busy times without burning out 🌺 How negative Google and Facebook reviews can REALLY hurt our local businesses (and Amy sheds some petals on one particular customer experience story)

Dr. Isabelle Gagnon is a highly skilled and experienced chiropractor based in the Pontiac. With a passion for helping others and a commitment to providing personalized care, Dr. Gagnon has built a reputation for delivering exceptional chiropractic services to her patients. But being a chiropractor and business owner hasn't been an easy road, as Dr. Gagnon reflects back to the beginning of her business and at the importance of offering chiropractic care to patients at her two locations in the Pontiac. In this episode, Dr. Gagnon talks about: ✨ Why she chose to become a chiropractor, how she unintentionally became an entrepreneur, and the challenges surrounding being the only chiropractor in the Pontiac for the last 20 years ✨ Dr. Gagnon is honest about what her first year of business was like, building her client base and educating her community on this evidence-based practice ✨ We chat about the importance of building lasting relationships and creating a strong community presence ✨We discuss personal and patient boundaries, highlighting how accessible we all are in 2024

Born and raised in Belleville, Dr. Sarah Wilson saw a need for comprehensive women’s healthcare in the area and decided to move closer to home in @city.of.kingston to fill that need and raise her family. @drsarah_nd is passionate about helping women feel their best, as she herself spent many years with brain fog, fatigue, constant digestive upset, an unpredictable period and unexplainable weight gain. These ‘undiagnosable’ symptoms prevented her from putting herself out there and reaching her full potential. For Dr. Sarah, it was visiting her first Naturopathic Doctor that changed her life, and she is now on a mission to change the lives of other women! Dr. Sarah knows she isn't alone in experiencing these symptoms, and believes that no one should have to experience the frustration, and isolation, that comes along with not feeling at your best! In this episode, we chat about.... 🩺 How this boss babe helps women feel more energized, more vibrant and at their healthiest, all while juggling a career, family and life. 🩺 Why we have been conditioned to think “common” symptoms” are just normal... and why we should be questioning them. 🩺 What causes unexpected weight gain and and the factors surrounding it that doesn’t have anything to do with calories or exercise. 🩺 How high performing women that operate at a fast speed can find natural ways to slow down - while still getting ALL their shit done!

Julie Savory started out in business as a hairstylist and busy salon owner for 12 years, until one day when she was at the Calabogie Dam when they opened the flood gates, causing two deaths. Julie's doctor strongly advised her to switch careers in order to recover from her injuries effectively. She was stunned and heartbroken, as she had absolutely loved hairstyling and had such a strong client base. Julie then faced financial challenges while starting her new business, Red Brick Emporium, but she persevered by focusing on improving her credit and taking control of her financial situation. This downtown Perth biz owner has quite the success story, despite all of the curveballs thrown her way, and we dive into all areas of business, including: 😵 The first time someone stole from Red Brick Emporium, how Julie faced that situation, and if this customer decided to show her face in Julie's store again 🫶🏼 Coping with "failure," embracing change and accepting help 📑✏️ The importance of having a business plan and how Small Business Centre's Starter Company Plus grant helped contribute to inventory purchases!

In 1997, Cheryl Jordan combined her skill for crafting and her passion for decorative painting and established her successful business, The Country Cupboard, on Petawawa Blvd. Inspired by the home-style business shops she had seen in her hometown in Nova Scotia, Cheryl found the perfect location for her business in a charming yellow cottage. Over time, The Country Cupboard has evolved from creating décor pieces to offering a variety of products sourced from local Canadian suppliers. Today, the boutique cottage is filled with a wide range of treasures including seasonal décor, homewares, giftware, and accessories. But what did business look like when Cheryl first started out and how did she make the seamless transition to becoming a home decor and gift store? In this episode.... ⭐️ Listeners find out how Cheryl has managed to keep The Country Cupboard in business for 27+ years, learning the ropes of various marketing and advertising strategies, outsourcing and asking for help, and what "trending" items have worked and which ones she still has hidden away in storage ⭐️ We discover when Cheryl started doing Facebook lives, how she became comfortable behind the camera and why they are integral to the success of her biz ⭐️ Cheryl discusses the significance of the military community and how Country Cupboard provides support for military spouses in particular ⭐️ We get raw and real as Cheryl and I chat about business hardships and struggles in today’s economy, as well as in her industry

Heather Jobe, the Community Development Coordinator for the Renfrew County OSPCA and Humane Society meets hundreds of animals every month, and to Heather - these animals that are in need become more than just pets. They truly become family! In this episode, we get to learn all about Heather Jobe, her role at the Renfrew County OSPCA and why it's so much more than being around the sweetest fur animals all day, while also learning about the OSPCA's annual Cupcake Day, a fundraising initiative that helps to change lives for the better and supports the most vulnerable animals in our community!🐾🧁 In this episode: 🫶🏼 Heather shares how her role includes community engagement, volunteer coordination, hosting fundraising initiatives and events, and building more community awareness 🐾 We chat about animal adoption, fostering, and all the animals that have wandered into the Renfrew County OSPCA (and Heather’s own experience with a BEAR!) 🐻 🧁 We get to learn all about Heather’s favourite day: the OSPCA's annual Cupcake Day and how YOU can donate, get involved, and how cupcakes help pets in need!

Renfrew County Community Futures Development Corporation is a non profit organization funded by the Government of Ontario that offers free business counselling, financial loans for start-ups and businesses looking to expand, strategic planning on local projects and community economic development in our rural community. This organization has been fostering economic growth in Renfrew County since 1986 and have helped numerous entrepreneurs level up their business through various financial investment resources. In this episode, I meet with Executive Director Cyndy Phillips and Community Development Officer Kelley Lemenchick, where we: 💕 Discover how RCCFDC offers community economic development services, financing opportunities, business coaching and more! 🤍 Learn how RCCFDC fosters economic growth and community development, taking the concerns our biz owners are facing and implement action where they can 🫱🏼‍🫲🏻Find out how RCCFDC has partnered with Algonquin College Pembroke to help business graduates develop or expand their businesses

Sarah Trafford and Kim McPherson are a dynamic "Pink Panther" duo offering medical aesthetics services at Uplifted Medical, where they are all about empowering women ti regain their self confidence and self love! This medical beauty spa includes cosmetic injections, radiofrequency microneedling, skin peels and medical-grade skin care products. These babes wanted to bring high-quality medical aesthetics services to the Smiths Falls area, at reasonable prices, while also providing fun education around radiant skin, rejuvenating therapies, and the importance of self-care. In this episode.... 👩🏼‍⚕️ We find out what led these two licensed medical professionals to transition from their previous scopes of practice to enter the field of medical aesthetics 💉 These babes debunk common medical beauty stigmas, normalize getting medical injectable's and discuss why it's becoming more mainstream! 🧖‍♀️ We talk about the importance of skin health and how skincare regimens have positioned the skincare category in a new light 😍 There is something new on the medical beauty list of services and it's called the ORGASM shot - and its putting women’s sexual pleasure FIRST!

Michelle Jozwiak, the owner behind "The Wizard of Pawz" in Renfrew, was at a crossroads in her career, formerly working as a hairstylist and working with adults withdisabilities. But it was during the end of the pandemic when she caught the attention of dog owners when they admired her own dog's well groomed coat and couldn't believe she wasn't a groomer herself. It was then that Michelle knew what she was meant to do and immediately completed her dog grooming certification. In this episode.... 🐾 Michelle emphasizes the importance of ensuring animals feel safe and comfortable while in her care. She believes that by prioritizing the well-being of animals, she can provide a positive experience for both pets and their owners 🤭 Michelle also doesn't hold back, as she shares some juicy confessions of a dog groomer 🫱🏼‍🫲🏻 We learn how Enterprise Renfrew County’s Starter Company Plus Program encouraged Michelle to partner with Rick’s Pet Store in Renfrew (and where she is now!) 🩷 Tune in to find out how this babe is helping to make a PAWsitive difference in her community 🫶🏼