Business
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Woman innovator: Tracee Ellis Ross
The actress and businesswoman uses her brand to celebrate Black beauty. Daughter of the powerhouse singer Diana Ross, Tracee Ellis Ross has made a name for herself in the acting world. She’s acted in main roles in successful series like Girlfriends and Black-ish. In 2019, she became a businesswoman when she launched her product line, Pattern Beauty. Ellis Ross has said she’s been building this brand since her days in Girlfriends. Let’s be clear: neither hair products nor curly hair-specific products are new (the term curly is being used as an umbrella term for all curly, coily and tightly textured hair). Ellis Ross’ sense of innovation is what makes her…
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Trailblazing leadership: Rania Llewellyn’s journey as the first female CEO of a major Canadian bank
Llewellyn broke barriers in her historical position. Rania Llewellyn’s journey to becoming the first female CEO of a major Canadian bank is a story of resilience, innovation and leadership. In 2020, Llewellyn was appointed president and CEO of Laurentian Bank of Canada. She began her career in the banking industry as a teller at Scotiabank. With her hard work and dedication to the business, Llewellyn demonstrated capability, which landed her opportunities to work in different roles at Scotiabank. She worked in areas ranging from commercial banking to international operations, which equipped her with the knowledge of what the industry is all about. Llewellyn had to face challenges and overcome obstacles…
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Women in business: life as a wedding planner
Considering wedding planning as a career? A real-life wedding planner shares her typical day and advice for to-be wedding planners. Codey Sher, a 25-year-old from Toronto, took an unconventional path to her career as a wedding planner. Initially set on becoming a criminal lawyer, Sher’s aspirations took a sharp turn when the COVID-19 pandemic struck and she decided to follow her passions. Despite her passion for law, the day-to-day reality of the profession didn’t excite her. “I started researching other jobs when I came across event planning. I felt like I just knew this was made for me. It took all my passions—food, fashion, design, organization, problem-solving, and just being…
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Only Fans: Women rebelling
Women rebelling against the porn industry with Only Fans. Courtesy of lyle simes Society, as we see it today, has become hypersexualized which has allowed the porn industry to become a normalized topic of conversation. While everyone knows about it, they aren’t necessarily aware of the brutal treatment porn actors have had to endure during their careers. Many people justify the industry because they believe women are consenting to it, but online porn has extreme underlying issues of sexual violence, addiction and exploitation. Just because these women feature in videos, doesn’t mean they like it or willingly consent to it. The porn industry’s underlying issues can begin with drug addictions…
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Interview with F45 owner: Andrea Lorenzon
An interview on business ownership with F45 owner: Andrea Lorenzon. Andrea Lorenzon is the owner of three F45 locations across Toronto, Ontario. She is a 33-year-old fitness enthusiast with a passion for living life to the fullest. She is an inspiring woman who was unhappy in the corporate lifestyle, took life by the rains and changed the course of her life to be happy and live it to the fullest. Andrea is originally from Maple, Ontario, but has lived in Toronto for 12 years. She is a dedicated dog mom to her 13-year-old puggle, Timmy, and he is Andrea’s best friend. She loves to take him on adventures. Throughout her…
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The making and the future of The Business Casual podcast
“As we navigate internships, full-time jobs, and negotiating salaries, we’re also including that in the episodes because a lot of the conversations we have in our personal life reflect the majority of conversations that people our age are having.” – Stacey Speranza, co-founder of The Business Casual Courtesy of The Business Casual The Business Causal podcast first started in July 2020, has since aired in 65 countries and gained at least 20,000 listeners. Co-hosts and sisters, Stacey and Marianna Speranza interview different female trailblazers every episode to discuss topics based on their guests’ careers, personal lives and everything they have learned. Stacey (22) and Marianna (19) started The Business Causal…
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Need help kickstarting your business?
Here are five financial programs for aspiring female entrepreneurs in Canada Starting a business can be expensive and daunting. Few people have the funds to build a business from the ground up — a struggle in and of itself. For women entrepreneurs, competing in the male-dominated world of business and finances can result in added stress and difficulty. Fortunately, the Government of Canada and various other enterprises have created initiatives that provide business loans, grants and other resources specifically for female entrepreneurs. Check out these five financial programs for support when building a new business. The Scotiabank Women Initiative Scotiabank launched the Women’s Initiative in 2018 to support women and…
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Interview with Influencer Soheila Hakimi
Life as a full-time influencer – And tips to get you started. 10 years ago, you may have daydreamed about quitting your job to become an astronaut, a ballerina or a figure skater. In today’s era of social media, that dream has likely been replaced with a desire to take to your phone and influence the masses for money. It may seem like a questionable career path, but social media influencers represent the new generation of advertising. From Tik Tok stars to Instagram models, these modern-day Mad Men (and women) are single-handedly garnering the attention of the world’s biggest brands, with many making a killing while they do it. Whether…
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The Give and Grow: Where sports and nature collide
The Toronto-based small business combining gardening, basketballs and community outreach. During the bleak days of the early pandemic, many looking for escape or distraction found solace in starting new hobbies, FaceTiming loved ones or starting a new project. One of those pandemic projects became The Give and Grow. The Toronto-based company was founded by Olivia Ho, a healthcare worker with a love for everything basketball-related. Ho also coaches youth as a Sport Program Lead at MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) LaunchPad. The Give and Grow puts an athletic spin on interior decoration. Ho dreamed of combining her passion for basketball and love of nature into a single product, and…
