PORTFOLIO.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine | Volume 2 | Issue 3

PORTFOLIO.YVR

BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURS

VOLUM E 2 | ISSUE 3

DA WN CHUBA I

JOSH RIM ER

JULIA BURA K OVA

K IRSTEN LA RSEN

HEA THER URQUHA RT

K RISTY O'LEA RY

NA THA N M A HEY

DESIREE DUPUIS

JIM I BROCK ETT

JILL SINCLA IR

PORTFOLIO.YVR


VOLUM E 2 | ISSUE 3

0 0 1 PUBLISHER' S M ESSAGE:

HELEN SIWAK

0 0 3 DAWN CHUBAI:

LIVE SELLIN G SCHOOL

0 13 JOSH RIM ER:

IN FLUEN CER & CON TEN T CREATOR

0 23 JULIA BURAKOVA:

SILVER M OON PHOTOGRAPHY

0 31 KIRSTEN LARSEN :

IN DEPEN DEN T CURATOR

0 39 HEATHER URQUHART:

HUN A SKIN

0 49 KRISTY O' LEARY:

DECADE IM PACT

0 59 N ATHAN M AHEY:

DIVIN EN ESS

0 67 DESIREE DUPUIS:

VOES & CO / KOVE OCEAN

0 75 JIM I BROCKETT:

REAL ESTATE & RIDER

0 81 JILL SIN CLAIR:

TRAIN IN G & DEVELOPM EN T SPECIALIST

0 88 M ASTHEAD & CREDITS

PUBLISHER'S

M ESSA GE:

Starting a successful business venture

requires multiple crucial factors, such as a

strong concept, initial funding, and, most

importantly, an exceptional entrepreneur.

Those inspired transform their ideas into fully

operational businesses by pursuing

opportunities beyond their current resources.

Great entrepreneurs, either alone or in

teams, discover these opportunities

throughout their personal and professional

lives.

The world of entrepreneurship is filled with

individuals of different backgrounds, and in

this issue, PORTFOLIO.YVR will introduce you

to ten BC- based people at various points in

their journeys.

Daw n Chubai is a familiar face, having

worked in the broadcasting industry for the

last 23 years! She has already positioned

herself as an authority in this space, and her

'Live Selling School' is taking e-commerce by

storm.

Josh Rimer is no stranger to the spotlight,

either! As he transitions from Influencer to

Content Creator for international brands, this

social media star will be sure to go viral

again and again.

Now calling YVR home, Julia Burakova has

launched a successful photography

business? Silver M oon Photography? in two

years in a city saturated with shutterbugs.

Her passion and personality hit the right

notes for clients seeking a personal

approach to creating genuine memories.

Kirsten Larsen recently wound down the

Looks Great! Gallery, but that is only one of

her curatorial endeavours. She has already

worked with over 250 artists, and in 20 24,

that number is going to go up exponentially!

Heather Urquhart of Huna Skin has a unique

perspective on beauty, given her

background as a Botanist, Herbalist, and

Natural Cosmetic Formulator. Operating

differently from other mainstream brands, she

outsources nothing and controls everything.

From humble beginnings in the family corner

store, Kristy O' Leary has designed her

business? Decade Impact? to be a change

agency that helps courageous people tell

true stories that move the world to action.

A shopping trip for beauty products with his

mother encouraged N athan M ahey to start

a side hustle in beauty. Optical specialist by

day and a beauty entrepreneur by night,

Nathan's Divineness is just getting started.

Desire Dupuis has a vision for animal-free,

sustainable, and ethically created footwear.

Already receiving recognition and awards,

Voes & Co is adding a new casual canvas

sneaker to its collection soon!

Jimi Brockett is a real estate agent driven

to help people find their perfect home and

the founder of Riders for Ryders. Passionate

about cycling and fundraising, this Oakw yn

agent has a heart as big as the giant

cheques presented to the BC Cancer

Foundation.

Jill Sinclair is a renowned Training &

Development Specialist, author, TEDx and

International Keynote Speaker who has

helped countless businesses and individuals

achieve their goals. Always hustling, this

sophisticated businesswoman is on her way

to becoming 'the most booked speaker in the

world.'

Please enjoy our third issue and share with

those around you who have chosen

entrepreneurship as their vehicle to success.

001

Helen Siwak

DA WN

CHUBA I:

LIVE SELLING

SCHOOL

003

Daw n Chubai has worked in the

broadcasting industry nationally on

television screens for the last 23 years.

In 20 17, she took those on-camera

hosting skills and actively immersed

herself in the dynamic realms of ' TV

Home Shopping' and ' Live Selling

Platforms,' resulting in over $30 million

in retail sales for hundreds of brands

across all commodities.

Dawn has proven uniquely qualified to

media train chefs, bartenders,

sommeliers, interior designers, style

experts, real estate professionals,

athletes and personal trainers.

While Dawn continues to work as an

in-demand media trainer, she has

launched the next level of professional

development for Brand Ambassadors

and Influencers.

Drawing from her rich background as a

media trainer and TV Home Shopping

host, she launched Live Selling School

and developed her signature Home

Shopping Host (HSH) method of live

selling.

As principal of Live Selling School, Dawn

shares professional tips on becoming

comfortable on camera while teaching

the essential skills and livestream sales

strategies necessary to convert

customers from in- person shopping to

e- commerce. Whether utilizing a specific

live commerce platform or exploring

other avenues, ' Daw n Chubai' s Home

Shopping Host M ethod of Live Selling' is

adaptable to all commodities and brand

e-commerce strategies.

Currently an on-air host and

salesperson at TSC, Canada's only

television shopping network, memorable

credits include hosting Breakfast

Television in Vancouver and Toronto,

Hometow n Heroes Lottery spokesperson,

and in-arena host for the Vancouver

Canucks.

Dawn's professional affiliations include

the N ational Speakers Board, Canadian

Women in PR, and ACTRA. She is the

recipient of awards from the BC

Association of Broadcasters and the

Alberta Recording Industry Association.

005

IN HER

WORDS

"Early on, like most girls my age, I babysat.

I had many regular customers and could

charge premium rates on big nights like

N ew Year' s Eve? we would call that surge

pricing now.

"When I formed my first band, I started

calling myself an entrepreneur. There are

a lot of logistics to handle, including

managing the players, equipment,

contract negotiations, schedule and

vendor relations.

"Shortly after moving to Vancouver in

20 0 4, I began getting a lot of work as a

public speaking and on- camera coach.

Then, I legally incorporated my company,

King Willow M anagement , where my two

businesses - Live Selling School and Dawn

Chubai Media are housed.

"I w orked for free (or almost free) early

on. Whether it was ensuring my musicians

got paid their proper rate (and me having

to use my share to make it happen) or

making a whopping $15,0 0 0 annual

salary for my first TV gig and then getting

another job as a day bartender at Joey

so that I could work in TV.

"I never complained. I just wanted what I

wanted (best players, an opportunity)

and was willing to figure out how to make

it happen. As a result of my sacrifice, I

always had the very best musicians,

ultimately positioning me to command

higher rates and better venues.

"I started a 25- year career in TV as a

prominent, award-winning national

television host. I never felt taken

advantage of or that I was being ripped

off. I knew how important opportunity

was, and I wouldn't let anything stand in

my way from making the most of it and

putting my best foot forward.

"The public speaking, camera coaching

and media training components of my

business are a natural flow from my work

as a broadcaster. Learning to be

comfortable speaking and presenting on

TV, video and stage is best learned from

someone who has actually done it.

"I was able to secure clients from all

industries. I still work with everyone from

chefs to CEOs, and their opportunities to

make a great first impression became my

opportunity to help get them there.

"When I decided to leave TSC (The

Shopping Channel) to return to Vancouver

last year, I brought seven years of live

commerce skills, passion, strategic insight

and a new area of expertise to my client

base. My entrepreneurial pursuits now

include Live Selling School and Dawn

Chubai Media Services.

"Working in the media for 25 years, you

are part of a community of people

who, to some extent, become 'instant'

friends.

"You receive invites to parties, dinners

and openings. You belong to a

community that enables you to connect

with people and businesses primarily

because you are on television and the

possibility that you may be able to help

grow or amplify a person, company,

message or cause in the media. You

are part of a marketing strategy.

"I also had professional relationships

with some of the top PR Agencies in

Vancouver as their 'go-to' partner for

media training their clients.

"I had already positioned myself as an

authority in this space for individuals

and businesses who couldn't afford PR

but still needed skill development.

"I had already built a professional

reputation and provided value outside

of being on television, so when I left

Rogers Sports and media after nearly

19 years to focus on Dawn Chubai

Media Services and Live Selling School,

I didn't feel the same sense of loss that I

am sure many in the media who leave

that community may feel.

"After giving my notice at Rogers, many

people asked what I planned to do.

"When I told them I would grow my

business to include Live Selling Talent

Training and Live Commerce Strategy

to retail brands, they would nod,

knowing that if anyone were going to

be a disrupter in this space, it would be

me.

"That was encouraging, but the FIRST

validation that I was on the right path

was when I received LinkedIn

messages from nearly every Live

Shopping Platform worldwide wanting

to talk about my Live Selling School

business and the ' Learn the HSH

M ethod of Live Selling' video course.

"My first two weeks of full-time

entrepreneurship had me on Zoom calls

with people in Singapore, Tel Aviv,

Copenhagen, London, N ew York,

M ontreal, and Toronto.

"Each platform's CM O or CEO would

share how they also were growing the

Live Commerce Market with their

software and that the gap they

constantly saw was finding qualified

live shopping hosts.

"Each would tell me, "No one is doing

what you are doing, Dawn." I knew this

because of all the research I did before

launching Live Selling School and

creating the video course.

007

009

"This brings me to my SECON D validation

or pivotal moment people purchased my

course. I created something people were

willing to pay for. Wow ? w hat a rush it is

opening up my dashboard and seeing

SALES! I could offer insight that they

couldn't get anywhere else. I was helping

sales representatives and influencers

up-skill.

"I had an idea and business outside of

media to incorporate into retail and

commerce strategy. I was taking

everything I had done and knew how to

teach and build a business around it that

people and brands were willing to pay for.

To build video and camera confidence

with media training and live e-commerce

in a world where most interactions,

business and shopping take place -

I WAS M EAN T TO DO THIS!

"I am constantly finding new ways to work

with people. I am continually prospecting

and educating brands and agencies on

what I do and how to help them reach new

levels of confidence and sales.

"I host a video series on YouTube called

Live Shopping Talk. I say yes to every

podcaster worldwide that asks me to

appear on their program. As an

entrepreneur? there are no days off.

"I must acknowledge every PR person and

agency who has partnered with me and

still books me as a media trainer.

"Brands and agencies nationally who have

been willing to hear my pitch about

incorporating the 'Live Commerce

Strategy' into marketing plans and then

booking second meetings.

"Thanks to TV Home Shopping host Carrie

Olver for being my sounding board while

the Live Selling School idea percolated.

"Liisa O' Hare, former Sauder School of

Business executive and fellow Terminal

City Club member, who reconnected me

with designer RozeM erie Cuevas (JAC by

JC) to work with her on an upcoming series

of live shopping shows.

"Additionally, PR superstar Kim Bow ie has

just returned to Vancouver from living in

Mexico. While busy running her own

business, she always makes time for me

and shares her expertise as I grow my

business.

"Kevin Li from Little Ram Productions

brought me into his livestream shopping

project with FilmGear Canada as the Live

Selling Talent Trainer, and actor/

comedian M ilton N g for being such a

good student.

"Carolyn Galvin from Clikit M edia who

has brought me on to partner with her

latest livestream shopping client, Toronto

jewellery designer Erin Tracy.

"Last but not least, my husband Brad, for

all of the reasons that every entrepreneur

reading this knows, which must be solidly in

place to make any of this work and to start

the journey in the first place.

"Along this journey, I have honed my

pitch, and I will share it here: "How

would you like to see an increase in your

e-commerce sales by up to 30 %? How

about accessing new customers,

building community and cultivating

brand loyalty in a modern way?

Wouldn't you like to see more from your

influencer marketing strategies? How

about gauging success through actual

sales rather than just likes? By adopting

'live commerce' early, you sit ahead of

the curve and your competitors, tapping

into a dynamic platform that merges

entertainment with shopping and

bridges the gap between in-person

and online. With consumers craving

more authentic and engaging

interactions, live commerce offers a

unique opportunity to connect with your

audience meaningfully, building trust

and loyalty like never before."

"As a TV Home Shopping and

Livestream Shopping Host selling over

$30 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 in product, I know how to

connect with an audience through the

screen, motivating them to buy and

creating an entertaining experience

that meets the consumer where they are

- on their screens.

"Let me help your brand and existing

talent navigate this emerging space

through workshops, sales training, and

live commerce strategy. From pitch to

presentation, I can work with your team

to take your e- commerce strategy to

the next level.

"People need to educate themselves

about live and social commerce. If you

are a brand that sells on e-commerce

(or an agency that represents one),

you need to learn more about this

emerging space that is expected to

reach 35 Billion by the end of 20 24

and 68 Billion in the US by 20 26

(Coresight Research).

"Suppose you are a brand ambassador,

sales rep, or influencer passionate in

any category (for example, fashion,

beauty, lifestyle, fitness). In that case, I

also invite you to see how you might

bring more value to the brands you work

with and represent. Be a leader in this

space. Learn the specialized selling

skills through the screen and set yourself

apart from everyone else in your space.

Up- skill before you are out- skilled.

"When you learn about live commerce,

you will quickly see the advantage of

my process so that when your

competitors adopt this technique, you

won't find yourself Googling it; you will

already be benefiting from it!

"As 20 24 moves forward into 20 25, I

look forward to working with at least

one top-tier big Brand on their national

live commerce strategy and several

independent businesses looking for a

competitive edge."

D A W N

C H U B A I

L IV E S E L L IN G S C H O O L

011

JOSH RIM ER:

INFLUENCER /

CONTENT

CREA TOR

013

Known as a Vancouver-based

Influencer and Content Creator,

Josh Rimer shares his extensive

travels, culinary adventures,

musings, and love of community

events with a devoted following of

over 60 ,0 0 0 across his social

media accounts.

Infamous for creating and posting

the " most discussed video of all

time" on YouTube in 20 0 7, Josh has

since uploaded more than a

thousand videos to the platform

while also expanding to share

accessible, inclusive, fun-loving,

and very engageable content on

Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Originally from Alberta, Josh

arrived in BC with a diploma in

Broadcasting from M ount Royal

College in Calgary.

He has a background in acting,

singing and dancing. He has also

worked as a theatre and improv

actor in various productions

throughout that time.

In 20 24, Josh works directly with

brands of all kinds and sizes to

help bring aw areness of their

products and services to his

followers, who have come to know,

like, and trust him over the years.

015

IN HIS WORDS

"I had an entrepreneurial spirit from a

very young age. When I was seven years

old, I got into some trouble at home

because I took all of my Dad's pop out of

the fridge, mixed it all together into a

giant jug, and then set up a little table on

our front sidewalk to sell glasses of it to

the neighbours. It worked, though,

because I could make some money from

it, so I was hooked.

"I took the earnings from that sw amp

w ater mix and bought cheap candies at

the corner store that I sold at twice the

price to the kids on the street.

"I also put on a magic show for my

neighbours that they had to pay to

attend.

"In the winter, I went door to door after it

snowed to ask my neighbours if they

would pay me to shovel their drivew ay

and sidewalk. My asking price was $2,

and it didn't take long for someone to say

yes. It also took a little time to realize

they were getting a good deal out of the

bargain. Figuring out the correct pricing

is always tough at the beginning!

"As a teen, I did more traditional work,

like having a paper route and working in

fast food. I studied broadcasting in

college, and when I graduated, I decided

I wanted to have a TV show of my own.

"Rather than go the traditional route, I

decided to do it alone. I rented or

borrow ed all the equipment, brought on

my brother to co-star with me and help

me edit, found some volunteers to help

be our crew, and bought infomercial

time on a small TV network to air the

episodes late at night.

"I sold commercial spots during the show

(primarily to relatives who had their own

businesses). Although the show never got

properly picked up (and I didn't sell

enough commercial spots to break even),

it set me on the path I am on now.

"I got a job at a TV station and focused

on that for a while, but eventually, I

needed to go out on my own again, so I

started my own small video production

company.

"It was just me (and whoever I could find

when I needed a second camera person).

I started out making DVDs of theatre

productions so all the cast (and their

relatives) could buy a copy, and then I

started doing w eddings because I

realized there was a lot more money to

be made in that industry than in the arts.

"Later, I started doing corporate videos

because it turned out that companies

often have even more money than people

do.

017

"When YouTube started to become

popular, I also began using it to get

myself noticed in front of the camera.

The combination of my experience from

being behind and in front of the

camera has led me to where I am

today.

"My first real business was an

incorporated company whose sole

purpose was to produce the TV series -

it wasn't a money- making venture but

a way for us to showcase ourselves and

hopefully get picked up by an

experienced production company or TV

station.

"Eventually, we ran out of money

because we needed to sell more

commercial spots to cover the airtime

costs since it aired at 1:30 am, and we

were trying to be our salespeople in

addition to the producers, w riters,

hosts, editors, etc.

"I then used that business for my video

production work for theatre productions

and weddings. This was all in Calgary,

and I eventually decided to move to

Vancouver, at which point I brought the

company here while continuing to grow

my YouTube channel on the side.

"I always kept the company small

(myself and one other employee).

Because I struggled so much with

w orking in the business rather than on

the business while also making two

YouTube videos per week.

"I eventually ran out of money and

decided to close the company. Luckily,

around the same time, a TV station

approached me to license my two

weekly YouTube videos to air as

interstitial content (during commercial

breaks) on their network, so I continued

to do that under my name.

"This was also when ' influencers'

became an industry term, and

companies began working with people

like me to showcase their products to

our subscribers/ follow ers.

"As my popularity on YouTube grew, I

started to get more opportunities, like

being invited to speak at events and

conferences.

"At one, an attendee came up to me

afterwards and said that he worked

with a tourism board that would be

interested in bringing me to their

destination to make a YouTube video

about the visit.

"I went on that trip and was

immediately hooked on making my

content more focused on travel to

encourage more opportunities like that.

It worked, and I began making all my

content travel- focused, showing on TV,

my YouTube channel, and other social

media accounts.

"I focused my content on travel for gay

couples so I could bring my partner at

the time along with me, and for a year,

we were almost travelling as much as

we were home.

"In the Influencer industry, there are

primarily one-time offers when a brand

wants to hire you for one post on your

social media. The first time I got a big

brand deal that was high pay and

lasted over a few months was a

definitive moment when I knew I could

make this a sustainable career.

"Not too long after that, I ended up

securing a one- year partnership with

a major brand, and I knew I was

absolutely on the right path to finally

having some income stability in my

business.

"During the pandemic, I was forced to

start making content that wasn't about

travel, and I began to find myself with

more paying opportunities from other

types of brands in the broader scope

of industries.

"The different genres of content I was

making were attracting more

businesses. As my local followers and

engagement on posts grew, I continued

to get noticed by more local and

national companies.

"I also better figured out my pricing to

stop struggling w ith undercharging,

and I learned how to better sell myself

to companies interested in working

with me.

"It would be tough to be on an

entrepreneurial journey without the

support of family and friends.

Especially with being an early adopter

though, in an industry that was brand

new and just getting started, it was

hard for them (and even myself) to stay

optimistic at times.

"I spent years creating hundreds of

videos on YouTube for very little

income, so I'm sure it was challenging

for them to see me struggle financially.

"My parents especially supported me

even when they saw me working

endless hours for not much

compensation. They knew I had the

passion and drive to turn this into a

viable business that would eventually

provide me with a good income and

unique experiences ? which it finally

did!

019

021

"My best friend, M ary Sheridan

(@maryinvancity), also had a successful

blog while I was going through all this, so

it was great to have someone to bounce

ideas off of and learn from. Now, we do

a lot of content creation together, so

we can help each other out and have a

lot of fun while we do it!

"I work with everyone from small local

businesses to large national chains with

a product or service they want me to

experience and share with my followers.

"That can be anything from one post on

one platform to multiple posts on multiple

platforms. I have an exceptionally high

local reach, so companies trying to

target Vancouverites can benefit from

having me share what they offer - to a

following who have come to know, like

and trust me. When a business works with

me, I provide video production,

marketing, and spokesperson all in one!

"As I move forward, I'm looking to get

more long-term partnerships with brands

that see the value in working on an

ongoing basis.

"The more I can use a product or service

and continually share about it with my

followers, the more authentic and

effective the partnership becomes.

"Like with any good marketing, it's not

just about hitting someone one time with

your message, so while I do still like to

randomly let my followers know about

different types of things that they might

enjoy, the best partnership for both

myself and a brand is going to be in

something that's on a more recurring

basis.

"Although I already have a lot planned

for the rest of the year regarding travel

content, I will continue to work with

businesses interested in working with me.

Everything is on a great trajectory!

"I want to continue bringing value to my

followers, getting to know them as they

get to know me, and bringing more of

them along my journey.

"The more I can connect with them, share

with them, and entertain them, the more I

get back in return ? so it becomes a

w in- w in- w in situation for them, me, and

the brands I work with!"

J O S H R IM E R

IN F L U E N C E R / C O N T E N T C R E A T O R

023

JULIA

BURA K OVA :

SILVER M OON

PHOTOGRA PHY

Julia Burakova, founder of Silver M oon

Photography, is a passionate and

dedicated professional photographer

who focuses on capturing life's most

precious moments.

As a mother of three young children, she

understands the importance of cherishing

every fleeting moment, so she approaches

each photoshoot with humility and a

genuine desire to help people create

lasting memories.

Through the camera's lens, she strives to

showcase all her clients' true essence

and inner beauty, ensuring that every

image tells a unique and heartfelt story.

Whether capturing the joy of a wedding

day or the tender moments shared

between loved ones, Julia and Silver

Moon Photography are committed to

delivering photographs that will be

treasured for a lifetime.

Specializing in weddings, portraits,

families, maternity, branding, and

commercial photoshoots, she takes

immense pride in her ability to freeze

time and immortalize the beauty of each

individual, family, and occasion.

025

IN HER WORDS

"I have always worked in big companies

under someone else's supervision. But three

years ago, when I was in my early 30 s, I

decided to give myself a chance and start

my ow n business - a professional wedding

and portrait photographer.

"I worked at a university in M anitoba for

seven years. My partner and I had three

children w ithin four years, so after arriving

in BC, having a corporate job made no

sense. I needed a pursuit that aligned more

with my lifestyle. I left my position and

began a new chapter of my life.

"In the early days of my photography

journey, I embarked on a somewhat

unconventional venture that taught me

valuable lessons about the business side of

my passion.

"Eager to establish myself and gain

exposure, I offered free portrait sessions to

my friends. It seemed like a generous

gesture at the time, but little did I realize

the hidden costs involved. As word spread

about my free sessions, I was overloaded

with requests.

"While the experience was a fantastic

opportunity to practice and build my

portfolio, it soon became apparent that I

needed to pay more attention to the time

and resources required to deliver quality

photographs.

"Managing three little kids, the shoots,

editing, admin, and all the bookkeeping

made it challenging. On top of that, the

complete lack of daycare in the city

meant we had to hire a nanny every time I

had a client, and my husband was at work.

"Editing the photos took much longer than

anticipated, and with the back- and- forth

w ith clients, I soon found myself spending

more on these aspects than I had initially

budgeted.

"In the early years, I dedicated significant

time to self- education, learning the

technical aspects of photography,

mastering composition, and understanding

the nuances of lighting.

"At the start, I was driven by a passion for

capturing memorable moments and

emotions through my lens. I built a portfolio

by working with friends and family as I

grew my skills, gradually expanding my

network. The ensuing years brought exciting

opportunities, including my first solo

w edding shoot. For this 'big day,' I hired a

professional wedding photographer to

supervise and guide me. LOL! This

experience tested my abilities and boosted

my confidence in delivering high-quality

work under the pressure of a live event.

"Networking has also played a crucial role

in my journey. This continuous learning

process has been instrumental in refining

my craft and keeping my style fresh and

contemporary. I want to thank

photographer Yanina Sky for supporting

me and always believing in me. Jessica

Liang at N ook and Brittany M ichalchuk

of YVR Entrepreneur Club, thank you for

connecting me with like-minded female

entrepreneurs, and a big shout out to

Dave Singh, the owner of Wellgroomed, a

wedding attire boutique in Surrey, for

being a kind soul and supportive in my

creative shoots.

027

"When I started, I offered $50

photoshoots and had over 75 bookings

w ithin the first month. When I got good

client feedback, I realized that anything

was possible. I am glad I faced my fear

(I was so afraid of not having any

experience or technical camera

knowledge) and went in it anyway.

"After two years in photography, I am a

well-known photographer in the city. I

have photographed celebrities and

travelled for shoots. I do w hat I love,

and I get paid for it. All is possible if you

believe in yourself and capitalize on

your skills and interests. My journey as a

self- taught w edding and portrait

photographer has been a fulfilling and

dynamic adventure.

"However, at the beginning of this

journey, I searched for mentors in

Vancouver from whom I could learn and

get guidance. I only found those

charging thousands of dollars for a

Zoom call! So, I started consuming

online education and applying what I

learned to real-life experiences. I

became fearless? always taking on

projects and doing the best of my

ability? and ensuring the communication

between me and the client was clear.

"I am a self- taught w edding and

portrait photographer on a mission to

capture love stories and individual

moments as authentically and beautifully

as possible. My business model provides

every client with a personalized and

immersive experience. I don't just take

photos; I tell stories. I believe we are all

unique and beautiful, and I see that

beauty through my camera.

"I strive to create a comfortable and

enjoyable environment, ensuring that

every smile, glance, and emotion is

preserved in its purest form.

"I would love to travel more for work,

whether weddings, events, portrait

sessions, or brand photoshoots. My

favourite shooting locations are Kent

Vancouver, The Vancouver Club,

Westwood Plateau Golf Course,

Hycroft M anor, Fairmont Pacific Rim,

Whistler Fairmont, and Bella Casa

Venue in Florida.

"A year ago, I photographed a wedding

for one of M ichael Buble's best friends,

and Michael was also the officiant! As I

took a selfie with him, I remembered

how, four years prior, I was at his concert

singing along to his songs. What a

life- changing experience!

"The largest budget w edding I have

ever shot was almost $20 0 ,0 0 0 . Those

types of weddings are always

mind-blowing as the level of detail and

beauty is exceptional.

"When it comes to weddings, I have seen

it all, including a red lipstick

accidentally flying into the bride's

wedding dress and leaving a

3-foot-long smear just 10 minutes before

the ceremony. Or how about a

groomsman dipping their tie in curry

30 minutes before the reception?

I always jump in and help - including

washing that groomsman tie and using

stain remover on that wedding dress!

I am not just a photographer capturing

the day; I am a superhero w ith a

camera - serving my clients in the best

possible way - and sometimes

saving the day!

029

"In 20 24, I am developing a comprehensive

marketing strategy to increase visibility

and attract new clients. I am open to

working on strategic partnerships with

vendors and local businesses. Strengthening

my online presence through an updated

website and active social media

engagement will be crucial for reaching a

wider audience and showcasing my

portfolio.

"My ideal collaboration would be with

renowned wedding professionals such as

Alicia Keats Weddings & Events, Laurie

Arons Special Events in San Francisco,

DreamGroup Weddings + Events, and

luxury venues like Fairmont Vancouver or

Hycroft M anor that align with the vision

and aesthetic of Silver Moon Photography.

"I am also interested in working with Amrit

Photography or Blush Photography, as

they inspire me in the photography world.

By partnering with these esteemed

professionals, we would create

unforgettable wedding experiences that

exceed our client's expectations, elevating

their special day to new heights of

elegance and sophistication.

"I aim to grow my business by expanding

my services to include personalized

high- end branding portrait sessions and

destination event photography.

Additionally, I plan to enhance my skill set

by investing in advanced education, such

as specialized courses, furthering my

knowledge of business and marketing

strategies.

"To take Silver Moon to the next level, an

investment of $20 ,0 0 0 would allow the

company to expand its services, reach a

wider audience, and provide exceptional

service to clients across different regions.

"I hand edit all my work, so adding a

skilled retoucher would maximize the

number of clients I could work with in a

month. I would also use the investment to

upgrade my studio equipment with two

Sony A1 bodies, a 70 -20 0 mm lens for more

in-depth portraits and 16 mm for more

creative shoots, hire an assistant for on

and off-site shoots, and expand my studio

portrait business as I also truly enjoy

working in that field."

J U L IA B U R A K O V A

S IL V E R M O O N P H O T O G R A P H Y

031

K IRSTEN

LA RSEN:

INDEPENDENT

CURA TOR

BC-born artist and independent curator

Kirsten Larsen has forged a powerful path

for Vancouver's emerging artists for over

a decade. Somewhat of an enigma, she

has helped shape the landscape of

Vancouver's Arts & Culture sector.

Having worked with over 250 artists and

multiple spaces and organizations, Kirsten

has a long-standing track record of

transforming spaces and places into

one- of- a- kind experiences. Her ability to

simultaneously build communities and

bridge the gaps between the artists and

the public is unprecedented.

Kirsten is deeply committed to projects

that benefit the Arts and Culture

community, and her out- of- the- box

curatorial style has pushed the boundaries

of the traditional gallery model.

She hosted exhibitions in abandoned

warehouses, luxury galleries, basements of

motels, and old shops.

Her method allows artists to explore the

creative realm outside of w hite w alls and

bright lights and encourages them to go

deeper, creating unique experiences for

the viewer and the artist.

033

IN S T A L L A T IO N B Y L U P O

E R A S U R E E X H IB IT IO N

L O O K S G R E A T ! G A L L E R Y

Her most recent accomplishment was the

creation of Looks Great! Gallery at the

Bentall Centre Tow er II - Vancouver's first

pop-up hybrid art gallery and event

space.

Created in partnership with Bentall

Centre, Well Strategies and Vancouver

Art Attack, the goal was to highlight and

showcase as many talented artists, makers,

designers and creatives that makeup

Vancouver's diverse arts and culture scene

while bringing life to the empty and

vacant retail space. The project was a

huge success and disrupted how

traditional retail spaces can be utilized; its

value to the ghostly dow ntow n landscape

is incalculable.

Kirsten has been a past board member of

both the Community Arts Council of

Vancouver - North America's oldest arts

council (20 19 -20 22) and the Vancouver

Biennale (20 18 - 20 21), is a former gallery

director of B1 Gallery at the Beaumont

Studios (20 19 - 20 22), has worked as a

volunteer curator in the Coast M ental

Health Art Therapy room (20 17), and

producer for Portland Housing Societies

A N ative Perspective (20 17).

Kirsten is well known for her highly

sought-after underground, secret location

art shows at undisclosed spaces all over

the city.

?Kirsten is also the founder and artistic

director of Vancouver Art Attack, a

creative consulting agency she founded

in 20 13 that specializes in curated art

experiences and acquisitions, artist

representation and the Vancouver Art

Attack Award of Excellence in Visual Arts

at Emily Carr University of Art & Design.

In the past decade, she has worked and

collaborated with Ola Volo (Art Rapture),

an installation at Rumble Boxing Gym,

Celestia with The Social Concierge

(Westin Bayshore), pop-ups at Rosew ood

Hotel Georgia, and the Pinnacle Hotel,

Diner en Blanc (Van Dusen Gardens,

Devonian Harbour Park and Harbour

Green Park), and many more.

IN HER

WORDS

"When I was young, I tried my hand at the

lemonade stand business with my friend,

but it is evident from the beginning that I

have never really fit in. I have always had

to find my way and have been hustling

since high school.

"In 20 14, after attending many events at

the Waterfall Building in False Creek, I

saw it sitting empty with a giant For Lease

sign in the front window.

"Sensing an opportunity, I researched why

it was empty, who owned it, and anything

else I could find. I began approaching the

man who engineered the building,

bypassing the leasing agent, with a

proposal.

"I sent him proposal after proposal,

pitching myself as an Event Coordinator

and listing all the reasons why he needed

me.

035

"Eventually, I got called in for a meeting.

The first thing he says to me is, " You are

RELEN TLESS!" Truer words have never

been spoken. I do not take "No" for an

answer. He says, "I figured you wouldn't

leave me alone, so how about I make

you the Gallery Director? Do we have

a deal?"

After that beginning, he became my

mentor and friend and guided me to

build my first 6 figure business in less

than a year.

"But I quickly learned that fast money

can really change a person, especially

if the business expands faster than one

person can handle. I became greedy. I

could feel it. I was irritable. I was

overindulging in all the things.

"All of it came crashing dow n when the

building was sold. I lost everything, my

money, my drive, my identity. It was

brutal. I w as a ghost. I went into a crazy

depression; I w as suicidal and almost

walked out in front of a bus. I was put on

suicide watch and prescribed

anti-depressants. I was lifeless; the

world was grey, and I w anted to die.

"Well, many entrepreneurs do not know

that there is no government Employment

Insurance (EI) - you don't qualify as you

are not paying into it. The best you can

get is w elfare assistance, so that's what

I took. I ended up taking a year-long

'employment' program to find out I am

' unemployable' because - guess why - I

am an employer! I am not kidding. I

spent a year learning what I already

knew. At least I have the certificate.

"Along my journey, there have been

many highlights of incredible projects

that were pulled off by sheer will and

determination.

- Kiki' s Braw lys (20 0 8 - 20 0 9) / /

Prototype stage project in Hong

Kong - the manufacturer 'lost it,'

suddenly no longer spoke English,

stopped communicating, and a

recession hit.

- Vancouver Art Attack (20 13 -

present) / / What started as a

one-off fundraiser for the HIVE -

VAA, has survived many

incarnations over the years.

- Waterfall Events & Weddings

(20 14-20 16) / / Full-scale event

and wedding planning, art

exhibitions and fashion shows.

- The Hygge Brand (20 0 0 - 20 21)

/ / I started a kombucha company

in my kitchen with a friend. We

grew it to the Coho Commissary,

garnered media coverage, and

some other cool things. Still, my

partner and I parted ways after

differing opinions on how to scale

the business.

- The Well Studios - At City Centre

Artist Lodge (20 22 - present) / /

Created an affordable community

event space in the City Centre

Artist Centre basement.

- Looks Great! Gallery (20 23) / / A

pop-up-style, hybrid art gallery at

Bentall Centre.

037

M U R A L B Y T A K O S U D O

L O O K S G R E A T ! G A L L E R Y

"With Looks Great! Gallery, even though it

was temporary, I never told anyone it was,

so we all went into it fully invested.

"I employed this strategy so that I could

honour the integrity of the creative process

and not have its ending foreshadow its

existence.

"Even in 20 24, Looks Great! Gallery is

easily one of the most talked about and

celebrated creative spaces to be

launched in the city.

"My journey has had many ups and downs,

twists and turns. It is a genuinely

never-ending story, not for the faint of

heart. Being labelled (and self-labelled) a

lone w olf and a disruptor, I must rely

heavily on my intuition and trust my

guidance system.

"I have a process that I follow, and to the

outsider, I most likely look insane. I have

been super strategic with most things -

everything from the places and events I go

to to the organizations I've worked for or

with, as well as the places I've volunteered

for - they all go to PURPOSE.

"Even though I am hyper-independent and

focused by nature, some have pushed and

supported me.

"Many friends and mentors: M irjana

Galovich helped me shape the vision of

Vancouver Art Attack; Bahman Sanii of the

Waterfall Building who saw my potential

before I was ready to receive it.

"Barrie M ow att of the Vancouver Biennale

has been an integral part of my journey in

the Arts his belief and encouragement has

meant the world to me. I served as a board

member for two terms and travelled to

Brazil on behalf of the organization, and

David Duprey for challenging me in all the

right ways, even when it hurt.

"In 20 24 and beyond, a few things are on

the table. I will offer one- of- a- kind

creative experiences for artists and clients,

seeking to acquire a large commercial

space for a minimum of five years to house

what I created at Bentall? but on a

grander scale, and an investment of

$250 ,0 0 0 to start up and move forward.

"Before we wrap this story, two points I

want to share:

- Follow the breadcrumbs - as your

network truly is your net worth.

- The creative pursuit owns me - I am in

service to CREATIVITY.

"The next level is about to reveal itself."

"My mom has always been my biggest

cheerleader. The legendary Brian Jessel

mentored me with Kiki's Brawlys - from the

design phase, marketing, and strategies,

connecting me to all the right people -

some of the best business schooling

in real life.

K IR S T E N L A R S E N

IN D E P E N D E N T C U R A T O R

039

HEA THER

URQUHA RT:

HUNA SK IN

Huna Skin Inc. products are formulated

using fresh, high-potency plant-based

ingredients for unparalleled efficacy and

results. Heather Urquhart, a Botanist,

Herbalist, and N atural Cosmetic

Formulator, founded Huna to bridge the

worlds of herbal medicine and botanical

science with luxury beauty.

Huna formulates, manufactures, and

distributes organic, sustainable,

high-performance plant-based skincare,

cosmetic, and wellness products. Huna is

unique because it grows its botanical

actives on a 30 - acre regenerative farm

in BC's beautiful Okanagan region.

Huna grows the botanicals, hand-harvests

them at peak ripeness, extracts and

develops the exclusive active ingredients,

and professionally handcrafts every

product in a fully vertically integrated

operation.

Huna operates very differently from the

mainstream beauty industry, where most

companies outsource manufacturing to a

few major contract manufacturers using

the same off-the-shelf formulas.

041

IN HER WORDS

"I was healthy, in my early 30 s, and

vivacious, but my skin looked dull and

lacklustre? it was lacking in brightness and

vitality, and dare I say, it was starting to

show the first signs of aging .

"I am a health nut and enjoy nourishing my

body with nutrition- packed foods, and I

know my skin will benefit from the same

treatment externally.

"In my search, I kept coming across

so- called natural brands - traditional

synthetic mass-produced products with the

same ingredients as mainstream brands,

with just a touch of natural ' coconut oil' or

' rosehip oil' - and passed off as a 'natural

product.'

"Some brands with better intentions would

offer naturally derived, synthetically

processed or altered ingredients. I was

looking for healthier, safer alternatives to

what mainstream beauty brands offered

and searching for a healthy ingredient list

that I could recognize and understand.

"I am very aware and conscious of what

goes into and onto my body, and I wanted

to find a brand packed with phytonutrient

nutrition to feed and nourish my skin.

"I wanted fresh and natural? really

natural? authentically natural. So I

concluded that to get what I really

wanted, I would have to make the

skincare and did just that!

"After over a year of solid book study,

lab-based experimenting and skill-building

in botanicals and skincare science, I

developed the initial ' Huna Skin N utrition'

Skincare line and launched it to the world in

N ovember 20 14.

"I am definitely not the person who was

' born to be an entrepreneur.' I remember

when I was five, I started a business selling

mini floral bouquets with flowers from my

mom's garden. I went door to door and sold

the mini bouquets for .10 cents a piece to

our neighbours.

"I was so proud of myself, and when I

showed my mom the money I had earned,

she did not think it was cute. She definitely

did not see my entrepreneurial potential

then, and she made me return the money to

each neighbour.

"That was my first official business venture,

and it was a failure, but I learned a lot

about setting up a proper business structure

before launching.

"While working in the corporate marketing

world, I was dabbling into making skincare

and cosmetics purely as a hobby. I was

already a Botanist, so I loved working with

plant ingredients; then, I furthered my

studies and became a N atural Cosmetic

Formulator and Chartered Herbalist.

"I kept formulating and making better and

better products as I studied and

experimented more. I launched the Huna

Skin w ebsite in 20 14 with a small line of

sustainable organic plant-based

high-performance luxury skincare products.

"The moment I realized I was indeed an

entrepreneur, I was 35. I had just won first

place in my first entrepreneur startup pitch

competition, winning $10 0 ,0 0 0 in

non-diluted funding, business mentorship,

and support for a year. Out of a room of

fierce competitors who were well-versed in

business and finance, I was the only female

and the only solo entrepreneur.

043

"Huna had made only a meagre

$13,0 0 0 in sales revenues at that time,

and we competed against companies

with five business founders with

commerce degrees and $50 0 ,0 0 0 in

sales. And Huna won! I was so shocked

that I did not believe the announcers

when they called it out? I hesitated

thinking, wha?...No way.

"I had joined the startup competition

only to learn what angel investors were

looking for and how to improve my

pitching. I had zero expectations of

winning, and suddenly, I was celebrating

a first- place w in! It was an incredible

feeling, and it was the first time I began

considering myself an entrepreneur,

that was the moment I realized this

was my path.

"It was important to me that we build a

solid foundation and profitable

business model before we take Huna to

the next level. Over the years, we have

kept everything in- house - formulating,

growing, harvesting, processing,

extracting, manufacturing, filling,

packing, and distributing. We are

experts now in every step of the value

chain of our business.

"It is extraordinarily rare to operate this

way these days. Still, it was important

for us to oversee and fully control all

aspects of creating our skincare,

literally from seed to serum bottle.

"We leveraged scientific and

government grants to help with funding

and focused on organic customer

growth, which has allowed us to grow

steadily year over year. Since we are a

small, lean team, we have always

maintained a close, tight relationship

with our direct customers, which has

developed into a super loyal customer

base.

"Since we grow our herbs and flowers

on our organic farm as botanical

actives for Huna, we had assumed that

Farmer' s M arkets would be a great

place to launch our products in the

early days. We w ere so w rong. Being a

higher-end and premium brand meant

the product-market fit was for

something definitely other than local

Farmer's Markets!

"We would show up and make a few

sales, but most customers wanted to

learn how to make their own natural

skincare and lip balms, so they would

ask us plenty of questions about how to

formulate and make the products.

"Ultimately, very few people would

purchase due to the price point. It did

not take long for us to realize that we

needed to invest money to elevate our

branding to match the product quality.

So we rebranded, elevated our

packaging and introduced Huna into

premium retail and spa.

"M aking mistakes is part of launching

a business; it' s a given. But being able

to recognize and understand the error

quickly, pivot the business and adapt to

changes overnight? to me, that makes a

true entrepreneur. Understanding

customers' needs, reading the market,

following your instincts, and finding the

right solution. I love that part.

"Shifting to high- end retail and spa

was the right move for Huna. In the

following years, we saw unprecedented

grow th of 150 - 20 0 % year over year.

"We won dozens of prestigious

international product innovation

awards, and our company was named

' Best Organic Skincare M anufacturer

in N orth America' in 20 19. There is

much to say about listening to the

market and following your instincts. I

have never looked back.

045

"I want to shout-out my husband and

business partner, Corrado Radicchi. I

started Huna as a one-woman show ten

years ago, and I ran it solo for the first few

years, doing everything from making the

product to delivering it to my customers'

doorstep.

"As Huna grew and blossomed, Corrado

quit his full-time sales career and joined me

as Director of Operations. He is now COO,

overseeing everything from the Huna

Gardens and Farm Operations to

Production, Order Fulfillment, and Shipping

& Logistics. Corrado is also a Huna loyalist

to the max; he will not use anything but

Huna and insists it's the secret to his healthy,

age-proof skin.

"My mom has been my other massive

supporter since day one. She has worked at

the Huna Gardens, helped us in production

for every major contract we landed, and

made our drying racks for all our herbs by

hand; she truly amazes me.

"She is the most resourceful person I've

ever known. She's always interested in

hearing how Huna is doing and what new

products I am working on, and she is an ear

when we are going through tough times and

encountering obstacles.

"My mom has been an enormous support,

and her optimism and true grit have driven

me through some of the worst days.

"There was a point early in this

entrepreneurial journey when two of our

friends passed aw ay unexpectedly and

tragically, and it shook me to my core.

"First, my husband' s best friend passed

away at 35 from cancer. Then, a few

months later, our dear childhood friend

was suffering silently from severe

postpartum depression and shockingly took

her own life and the lives of her two babies.

"I was depressed and at an all-time low in

my life. I needed to find happiness again, so

I began dabbling into my old hobbies and

passions of making skincare and playing

with plant ingredients. My happiness and

joy returned, and I eventually found my

life's passion and purpose in Huna.

"A few years after my friend's passing, I

launched a charity fundraiser called ' Huna

for Compassion,' where we donate $2 from

every product sold to mental health and

postpartum depression support initiatives.

'Huna for Compassion' was very successful

and well received from the start - people

were so open, supportive and receptive to

the narrative and help for mental health

and postpartum depression, so we have

turned it into an annual fundraiser that we

look forward to every year at Huna.

"We now commit 5% of our annual

revenues to supporting our community and

the environment. We are proud and

humbled to have donated over $20 0 ,0 0 0

to mental health, postpartum depression,

environmental initiatives, disaster and

emergency relief, women's shelters, and

cancer care over the past decade!

"Life can be really funny and unpredictable.

I took something dark, low, and sad in my

life and turned it into something really

beautiful. If anything, I hope that this might

inspire and motivate someone to do the

same. Sometimes, hitting rock bottom is the

start of something new and amazing? you

just don't have the whole perspective to see

it yet.

"At Huna, we have bootstrapped for ten

years and built an incredible, stable,

sustainable, and profitable Canadian

business with a beautiful story and purpose.

"We love w hat w e have grow n, and we'd

like to go bigger. We have a vision that Huna

will be the top sustainable herbal skincare,

cosmetic, and wellness company globally.

"We want to bring more plants into more

households and show people what plants can

do for their skin, health, and wellness at the

same.

"Huna is sold online, in retail beauty

boutiques, and through luxury spas and

aesthetics partners across Canada, the US,

and N ew Zealand. We will soon launch in

Australia.

"Huna has secured its first key corporate

chain partnership and just signed with a

major distribution partner in North America.

"We would like to take on investment

partners with a similar vision, define a killer

clear global expansion and D2C strategy

together, and grow Huna into the innovative,

sustainable global plant- based pow erhouse

it was born to become.

"We will need help in making that vision

happen. My next focus will be finding the right

partners and securing the right capital.

"By the end of 20 24, I see Huna having an

established expert team and funding in place

for real scalable growth. I see us having strong

D2C growth."

H E A T H E R U R Q U H A R T

H U N A S K IN

047

K RISTY

O'LEA RY:

DECA DE

IM PA CT

049

" We eat, breathe, and sleep

mission. Everyw here w e look, w e

see opportunities for good people

to step into their greatness."

Decade is a change agency that

builds strategy and culture clubs to

educate people so they might w ield

impact and make their mark today to

ensure a beautiful future for all.

Decade helps courageous people tell

true stories that move the world to

action.

Decade Impact's Chief Strategist,

Kristy O' Leary, is a multidisciplinary

systems thinker with an innate ability

to identify leading-edge

entrepreneurs and align them with

untapped opportunities to drive

breakthrough change.

She was raised in an entrepreneurial

family, attained a unique fine arts

and political theory education, and is

a natural facilitator.

Her passion and purpose have

coalesced around empow ering

entrepreneurs to affect positive

social, environmental and economic

change.

With over a decade of impact

design, she is a veteran in this space

and uniquely positioned to translate

how today's ideas become

tomorrow's impact.

051

IN HER

WORDS

"I grew up in a corner store and it was

that experience that planted the seeds

of my passion for everything that impacts

my business.

"I learned what empathy in business

meant. It was better for me than any

M BA program. It was a cultural centre

and hub in our community. My parents

and by extension, myself, were nimble

and responded to our community's needs

in ways that corporates never could.

At the corner store, if someone needed

credit, they got it. We gave rides home

to those who stumbled in after one too

many and offered extra support to our

customers of varied abilities. Many of

these folks also shared holidays at our

home. We donated vast portions of our

revenues to community programs and

friends in need and, in the mid-90 s,

offered debt forgiveness.

"My parents allowed me to get the

greatest MBA possible before I was even

out of high school. My mother never told

me to be who she wanted me to be; she

told me to go my ow n w ay.

"After years of working for my parents

and witnessing their wins and losses, my

father offered me a piece of advice that

shaped my approach to

entrepreneurship throughout my life:

" Alw ays, alw ays be by appointment

only." I took that to heart. After learning

the ropes of entrepreneurship in retail, I

resolved to craft a business that fed my

passion and allowed me to eat with my

friends and family.

"When I went to university, I resolved

never to own a business. It makes me

chuckle now - how cute little Kristy

thought she could ever be an employee!

"I studied Political Science at Carleton

University and then did a second

undergraduate degree in M edia Arts

from N SCAD University in Halifax.

"For quite a time, I spent most of my

days considering how to dismantle

capitalism rather than how to become

a capitalist.

"My first business was founded upon the

idea that I could use the media arts,

politics, and stories to help the good

guys save the world.

"I opened my first business in my late

20 ' s. I did work for my parents in a series

of companies; as a teenager, I worked in

a series of start-ups my father had. They

included one of Ontario's first dial- up

internet providers and a company that

offered online discounts for products and

services (think Groupon 1995).

053

"My parents modelled a very high

degree of risk tolerance for me. I knew

what it meant for the buck to stop at my

door, which provided me with

exceptional experience - when I

decided to open my own business, I knew

what that meant. I knew what was at

stake and what could be gained. I

w itnessed w ins and losses early in life

and was present for critical

conversations. Our family businesses

were the primary topic of conversation

around our table.

"In 20 0 6- 20 0 7, I was one of two first

artists in residence for the UN ESCO

town of Lunenburg, N ova Scotia. I spent

two years building an online archive of

centenarians' observations of client

change. The hundred-year-old ladies I

spoke to told me about the old world

and shared their stories of times passing.

It was beautiful, a life-changing

experience. That project convinced me

to step into entrepreneurship.

"After that and until 20 10 , my best friend

and I started Lalanova Communication

Design in a heritage house we rented in

Old Town Lunenburg. $30 0 each a

month in rent, living on the edge of the

North Atlantic with the wind coming

through every crack and cranny in that

house.

"She had the eye, I had a Media Arts

degree, and we had a lynda.com

membership. We taught ourselves as we

went.

"It was amazing, and it was my first step

into B2B entrepreneurship, which is a

massive departure from B2C. But, I

wanted to be by appointment only.

"Lalanova was also a combination of my

two loves: business and design. I had

this big idea that I could use my skills to

help good companies steal market share

from the dinosaur capitalists.

"In 20 13, I left Lala and joined a few

fellas from art school to start a boutique

creative agency - N apkin Works.

"Unbelievably, we got a year's worth of

work in the first month! It was an

exceptional learning experience.

"We got to work for the likes of Romeo

Dallaire, help raise capital for w ind

farms, and support small operators in

taking on multinationals.

"Napkin allowed me to level up my

projects' ambition and make critical

connections between information design,

business strategy, and shared value

creation, in other words, sustainable

business!

"It was a great year, but I left the

creative agency to start my first

management consulting firm. It was an

incredible learning experience and a

colossal failure.

"At this time, I began using the B Impact

Assessment (B Corp) to design business

policies and practices. I knew that data

could tell powerful stories, but I started

to see data as a building block for

impact and sustainability strategy.

"I also began to connect the dots

between everything I had learned about

business from my parents' social

enterprise and the clients I was working

with.

055

"Twenty years later, I could

understand just how deeply

committed to impact my parents

were in their business. I also saw that

very few businesses prioritized care

for the community in the way they did.

"In 20 17, I was involved with

Uncommon Cocoa, and although it

was not my venture, it was a venture

that taught me so much about supply

chain impact, source communities,

cultural immersion, etc. I worked in

Guatemala and Belize for months,

researching, writing, and designing

Uncommon Cacao's 20 16 impact

report.

"Decade opened on January 1, 20 20 .

I had been watching the pandemic

take hold and was sweating.

"I had failed previously and did not

want to go through that again.

Because we are in the business of

helping passionate, justice- minded

entrepreneurs do things that most

people think are impossible. We do

not want to be traditional

management consultants - we want

to exercise our agency to leave this

w orld better.

"We are in an acute crisis - a climate

crisis - an economic crisis - a crisis of

confidence, and a crisis of spirit. This

is not a drill - something must be

done.

"Our little motley crew of women and

the ' imagineering' entrepreneurs we

work with will take a bite out of the

universe and use our time and passion

to find new ways of being and

knowing and maybe transform

capitalism in the process.

"Taking my business to the next level

requires me to take myself to the next

level. I have been investing in

therapy and self- care. I have been

ruminating on w hat ' w inning' looks

like for me and how that translated

into Decade outcomes.

"I am relentlessly trying to understand

how to cultivate value for clients. As

entrepreneurs, we can develop ' main

character syndrome,' but I am not

the hero in this story. Our clients are

the heroes in this story - we need to

give them the talisman that will help

them realize their greatness.

"Our current business model is simple.

We are impact management

consultants that support for-profit

businesses in further developing or

creating impact business models. We

help companies leave the world

better than they found it every time

they turn a dollar. We do this through

teaming, bringing teams together to

explore how they might be better

and how that might be implemented.

We develop policy and

measurement structures that embed

practices, get folks on the same page,

and provide guidance for continuous

improvement.

"We make magic happen by creating

space to imagine how businesses

might leave the world better. What

can happen when we make space for

new ideas or reflections on existing

practices is incredible.

"Our team is reaching beyond B

Corp. That is how many folks know us;

we are the B Corp women, but we

are, and we are not. Our work is so

much deeper than a certification.

"We are culture builders, analytics

experts, ESG practitioners,

communicators and storytellers. We love

the B Corp framework and believe

deeply in the social movement that

underpins it.

"So many clients come to us seeking the

certification, which is fantastic. Often,

they need to learn what that means; they

cannot know how deeply w e can

change their business and culture for

the better if we focus on continuous

improvement and cultivating as much

business value as possible.

"B Corp is a blueprint ; it is the legend

on the future map of their world-saving

company.

"B Corp has been a deep love of mine

for many years - it is evolving just as I am,

just as our team is. I have learned more

about good business and human

motivation from practicing B Corp than I

could ever have learned in school.

"My dad used to take me out of school to

bring me to work. He always offered the

school the same note: " Kristy is doing

business today because you don' t

teach this in school." Save the MBA; I

got mine from continuously applying the

B Corp framework to businesses across a

spectrum.

"So many incredible people have

supported me over the years. I am

childless and fabulous - this was a

lifelong goal - and I have never

regretted it for a moment.

"I met the love of my life in December

20 20 , and together, we parent a lazy

cat with a weight problem named

Tigger, aka Tiggy Smalls? the goodest

of boys. My partner is incredibly

supportive of Decade's work and

empathetic to my seemingly endless

work commitments.

"I'm surrounded and supported by

incredible women like M ichelle

Austin, Kate Smith, and M airin

Shields- Brow n, all of whom are on the

Decade team and whom I learn from

every day.

"Huge props to them and the Decade

team for leaning into the work and

entertaining my impromptu

conversations? " Are w e on the right

track? Where' s the value? Where' s

the impact?" That also goes both

ways, and it is absolutely thrilling when

they come up with incredible ideas.

"By the end of 20 24, I see Decade

engaging with various new clients,

continuing to serve our long-term

clients, growing our team further, and

preparing for our annual two-week

rest period."

K R IS T Y

D E C A D E

O 'L E A R Y

IM P A C T

057

059

NA THA N

M A HEY:

DIVINENESS

From a sixteen- year- old knowing that the

traditional path was not for him to an

optical specialist venturing into the

beauty industry, N athan M ahey's dreams

include friends and family.

The idea of Divineness skincare began

after Nathan's mother's 50 th birthday. She

became more concerned about the effects

aging would have on her skin and wanted

to ensure she found a product that helped

her skin from aging and was ethically

made. Before this birthday, she had never

used anything for her skin except a few

products.

With a schedule already packed - Nathan

juggled a full-time position in the optical

industry and attended full-time courses at

the award-winning Blanche M acDonald

Centre - all the while developing his

beauty line.

Nathan launched Divineness into the world

in 20 22. With a beautifully designed

website, his background in online/ IRL

sales and dropshipping, and a strong

network, he has begun to see the

possibilities and has put together a plan

for growth in 20 24.

061

IN HIS WORDS

"I was around sixteen when I realized my

path was to be an entrepreneur and

create a brand and name for myself, but I

needed to learn how to do so. After some

thought and consideration, I launched my

first online business selling through a

furniture dropshipping business and

curated a collection of carpets, home

décor, and blankets.

"For the dropshipping business, the journey

progressed slowly. I learned how to reach

out to influencers, create social media ads,

create social media posts, grow social

media followings, etc. Through learning

these skills, I learned how to make sales

online.

"I studied Tai Lopez and Oberlo's online

courses to educate myself on selling online

through dropshipping. Together, they were

a wealth of knowledge on how to

find/ source products, price products, and

so on.

"The business model was attractive at first

because everything shipped on my behalf,

and all I had to do was focus on making

the initial sale. Ultimately, after two years, I

lost interest in online selling because I

had lost my passion for selling home

décor and really wanted to focus my future

on something I was more passionate about

- beauty products.

"I got into skincare at a young age through

my sister. Growing up, we put on face

masks together twice a week and slowly

became interested in that. I was also

influenced by the creative ads and

campaigns that skincare brands designed

for their marketing.

"When I used to go skincare shopping

with my mom, I found she always bought

the same few products but would be

disappointed when they were

discontinued. She always mentioned how

they worked well for her skin and made

her look and feel good. It was at that time

that I knew that is what I wanted to move

towards as an entrepreneur: to create a

skincare line that w as locally produced

and ethically made and had the potential

to impact people's lives positively.

"When I started the skincare brand, my first

round of testing was with family, including

my mom and sister, who tried the products

before launching and were impressed with

the results received.

"I felt empowered by their reactions and

the testing results. At that point, I widened

the availability and began to sell to my

friends, additional family members, and

the clientele I built from my full-time

optical job.

"Creating a skincare line is no small feat.

There is a lot of research to do if you do

not have a science background. You need

to find the right partner to look after the

formulations and manufacturing, especially

if you want to keep it local.

"I researched online skincare lab

manufacturers in Canada and found most

were located in Toronto across the

country. Through patience and diligence, I

found one that was based in Vancouver.

063

"I reached out through their website

Contact Form, and a few days later, a

follow-up call explored my goals in

creating a skincare brand, product

types, who was my audience, etc. It was

a great call as I was able to really

widen the scope of my dreams.

"We began working together and

created my first product, a moisturizer

with an avocado and basil base. The

manufacturer had a selection of

roughly 8-10 different styles for the

packaging. Of course, I chose the most

elevated and elegant one, called

' Chanel.' The packaging had the most

luxurious look and feel to it.

"The name Divineness came to me as

the perfect name to capture luxury and

was reflective of the person who would

wear it - a divine persona - if you will.

"I launched Divineness in October 20 22,

with sales primarily to friends, family,

and associates. In 20 23, even though I

was in school full-time at Blanche

M acDonald for Fashion M arketing,

sales grew over 450 %. Finding the

strength to balance school, my optical

job and building the brand was

challenging, but the numbers and a

passion for growth inspired me.

"Unfortunately, my first product - an

avocado basil moisturizer - was not

much of a success. This, of course, was

disappointing, but everyone must learn

from their efforts! It was definitely a

learning opportunity to gain

knowledge of the process of creating a

product.

"Using what I learned from the first

product launch, I used the feedback to

create a second product, which was

the Kombucha Crème moisturizer.

"The feedback was positive, and it was

much more of a success than the first

product, so I discontinued the original

product and focused on the Kombucha

Crème.

"I began working on a second product

and launched Sheen Serum Hyaluronic

Acid - named after my sister's

nickname 'Sheen' - which contains

caviar, which gives it a sparkly and

shiny texture. Based on industry trends

and consumer demand in January, I

launched an under-eye crème named

M urumuru Butter Eye Crème.

"There are many who are supporting

me along this entrepreneurial journey -

my family and my close friend

Kuljeet Kaila. Before launching the

brand, I asked everyone for their

advice on what products to develop

and where the growth focus should be

for a skincare brand.

"Sadly, Kuljeet passed away from brain

cancer on September 10 , 20 23. Before

she passed away, she messaged me

saying how proud of me she was and

that she 10 0 % supported me. She also

mentioned that I would do great things

in life, and I appreciated her message

greatly.

"It was only a few weeks later that I

found out she passed away. Hearing

this news was so hard to take. She was

among the few w ho believed in me

and supported me throughout

everything.

"When I saw her in her casket at the

funeral, I decided on the spot that

everything that I achieve and all the

great things I plan to accomplish in life

w ill be dedicated to her.

"In 20 24, I plan to continue to push

Divineness to new heights. Knowing that

the product line of quality ingredients

and effective formulations will produce

more positive reviews and testimonials, I

will roll out effective marketing

strategies, build distribution channels,

and increase customer

engagement/ loyalty.

"To date, I have been self- funding

Divineness, and recently, I have begun

w orking w ith a bank to access more

funds to accelerate and grow the brand

quickly this year.

"M anaging finances is something I

advise all entrepreneurs to be involved

in. Early on, I engaged an influencer

with a fee of $70 0 to promote the brand

but did not request details about

followers, engagement or statistics. She

turned out to be a fraud.

"After receiving the fee, I waited for the

promotion, but it never happened. I

learned from that experience that you

have to be careful who you reach out to

and check the person's social media

statistics before wanting to get involved

with them!

"This led to me meeting new people who

would invite me to other events they

knew about or events they were hosting -

this was a successful way to increase my

client base.

"By the end of 20 24, I see Divineness

reaching new heights in terms of new

products, new partnerships and

collaborations, and the development of

an Amazon FBA to grow the brand to

new levels.

"In addition to the online market, I want

to expand to BC-based medical clinics

and spas with stellar reputations, such as

GlamM ed Aesthetics, to reach a

projected $5,0 0 0 -$10 ,0 0 0 a month mark

by the end of the year. From 20 25 to

20 27, the plan is to collaborate w ith

high- level influencers within the city

and celebrities such as Shay M itchell."

N A T H A N

D IV IN E N E S S

M A H E Y

"I am a people person, and from the

beginning, I took it upon myself to

jumpstart Divineness through networking

with key persons in the city.

065

DESIREE

DUPUIS:

VOES & CO

K OVE OCEA N

Everyone at Voes & Co shares an

unshakeable philosophy: Standing for

love and the rethinking of fashion.

The company is 10 0 % committed to

not using leather, suede, or other

animal-based materials in its designs.

Through intention, Voes & Co seeks to

contribute to creating a world based

on love, kindness and compassion for

the planet, animals, and all living

beings through creativity and

designer fashion.

A purpose of advocating for kind,

compassionate, conscious living

through ethically sourced, sustainable,

10 0 % vegan (plantbased) designer

footwear, and a mission to help

pioneer the use of next-generation

materials to help eliminate the use of

plastic in the vegan fashion industry.

Founder Desiree Dupuis is at the helm

and feels the momentum growing as

the demand for vegan options in

fashion, food, and lifestyle explodes.

067

069

IN HER

WORDS

"I was not entrepreneurial when I was

young; I was always taught that the path

was to go to university, get an education

and get a good job with benefits.

"So, when I was a teenager, I loved

watching Ally M cBeal, and I wanted to be

a career woman; I wanted to be a law yer. I

went to UVIC and completed a Bachelor of

Commerce in International Business. The

funny thing is that the program had two

options: International Business or

Entrepreneurship.

"At the time, I thought, "I will never be an

entrepreneur," so I chose International

Business. [Now, I am an entrepreneur

building a global international brand.]

"Then at 27, while climbing the corporate

ladder, I realized that no matter how high I

climbed, I would constantly be reporting to

somebody, working under someone else's

agenda, being dispensable at some point if

and when there was any financial

turbulence, and still not having job security.

I realized that the only way to enjoy

absolute freedom and job security was to

be my own boss and entirely responsible for

myself.

"I had an epiphany working in marketing

for a national w ine company, I quit my job

instantaneously and got a job as a server

while figuring out what I would do. I barely

made it past my training shifts when I

realized I did not want to serve people

food and drinks while they were out with

their friends, plus I w asn' t any good at it!

"I quit that job right after I spilled a large

tray of drinks on a table of guests. My best

friend Kelly Strongitharm was

self-employed as an insurance agent, so I

decided to go into business with her.

"We were the perfect pair. As an extrovert,

I would handle all outside sales, lead

generation, and marketing. As an introvert,

Kelly would meet 1:1 with clients and have

deep conversations, following up with

personal planning.

"I was so excited to launch this business and

become an entrepreneur. Being an

entrepreneur meant I would be free to work

less and make a lot more money. In my first

year, I made $12,0 0 0 and realized that as

an entrepreneur, I would never actually be

'off' work and would be working all of the

time.

"It took about three years to finally start

making the same income I made in my

previous full- time marketing job. Although I

wasn't getting rich, I did feel extremely

wealthy regarding the freedom I felt

managing my own time and schedule, the

relationships I was building, and the

meaningful work I was doing.

"I invested so much of my time in

networking, which included many learning

opportunities, and my personal growth

journey soared at that time, as did my

database.

"As of the five-year mark, we continued to

enjoy financial success. In 20 18, after a

decade in the industry, my business partner

and I decided we did not see ourselves

spending our lives as insurance agents.

"Our business had grown significantly, and

we had recurring revenue, which meant we

would be able to get a 2- 3x return on our

annual revenue by selling our book of

business. We decided to sell and invest our

time into Ruben' s Shoes Society, an N GO

we had started five years earlier.

071

"My life did not change much during the

ten years I ran Three Sixty Financial

Group (Insurance) and Ruben's Shoes. I

moved from Kitsilano to Port M oody

and spent almost a decade there

building up my network in the Tri- Cities

area.

"All the while, I continued to enjoy

personal grow th, developing a stronger

mindset, becoming laser- focused in

business and doubling down on my

health.

"Then, out of the blue, I received a text

from one of my mentors, Carlo Zarrillo,

saying he had an opportunity for me that

aligned with all of my values. When I

spoke with him, I learned that it was an

opportunity to join as a founding

partner of a seaw eed company based

on Vancouver Island to launch a food

brand. As a vegan marketing person with

a love for branding and the environment,

this opportunity aligned w ith my values

and felt like a dream come true.

"The following two years, I worked as VP

Sales of M arketing to launch a food

brand for Cascadia Seaw eed. That

brand became Kove Ocean Foods, and

in the fall of 20 22, I left Cascadia and

took over full ow nership of Kove. In the

spring of 20 23, I brought on three

partners to help manage Kove in

Vancouver while I was living overseas.

"In 20 16, after eight years of following a

vegan lifestyle, I realized how frustrated

I was with the lack of designer footwear

that was not made of leather, suede, or

other synthetic petroleum-based

products. From that frustration and

desire came the vision for my brand,

Voes & Co.

"You may ask why I would go to such

lengths for footwear, and to that, I say

I love animals like they are our friends

and want to do everything in my power

to help take care of them and advocate

for their w ell- being. Also, I and all the

vegans I know are frankly really tired of

having to sacrifice style and

sustainability with synthetic, cheap,

petroleum-based products. We love this

incredible planet and have the privilege

of calling it home. We want to do what

we can to lead the industry to more

ethical options that would make M other

N ature proud.

"This idea continued to percolate for

two years when, in 20 18, came the

launch of plant-based leathers such as

pineapple leather from Pinatex and

cactus leather from Desserto; at that

point, I decided to start looking for a

manufacturer that could make Chelsea

boots with cactus leather and in

February of 20 20 I invested in creating

a prototype with a private label factory

in midtow n M anhattan to start to bring

my passion project developing vegan

footwear to life.

"Within a matter of days, the production

of my first boot was put on hold due to

the pandemic, and I waited until the

factory reopened its doors in the early

summer.

"With a prototype in hand, I took it to

Kickstarter with the help of my friend

and filmmaker Andrew Santos to raise a

bit of capital and drum up some

pre-orders. The Kickstarter was the

pre-launch of the brand, and through the

pandemic, I had to overcome several

hurdles with the manufacturing of my

first 10 0 pairs of boots.

073

"By 20 22, after months of frustration working

with the manufacturer in New York, I found a

new, fully vegan manufacturer based in

Brazil. I decided to move forward with a full

production run with them.

"In 20 23, after being freed from my full-time

job and with production underway, I focused

all of my time, money and energy on the

official public launch of Voes & Co at the

Vegan Woman Summit in N ew York.

"During this time, I also began working with a

publicist, Vikki Lenola of Lenola PR, and we

began to get some impactful coverage in

Forbes, Cosmo, and, most recently, Vogue.

"After a year of building the brand at events

in person and online, Footwear M agazine

recognized us as the Vegan Brand of the

Year, and I am currently working on building

the collection with a new casual sneaker. I

am grateful to work with a manufacturer that

aligns with my values.

"In 20 24, with Kove, we have launched at

Whole Foods along with Sobeys (Thrifty' s,

Safew ay) and are working to secure some

other significant retail partners. Having

worked together at Vega, my business

partners have outstanding relationships in

the food industry. We have excellent sales

and distribution partners and the best

merchandising team at Hive N aturals.

"We will continue with store activations and

placement to increase sales, brand

aw areness, and customer loyalty. We know

that once people get Kove Sea Spice into

their homes, it will become a daily staple,

enhancing their meals.

"I am currently Chair of the board for

Ruben' s Shoes Society, an NGO that since

its inception in 20 13, has sent 10 0 ,0 0 0 pairs

of shoes w orldw ide to help children access

education. We now fund and operate an

elementary and secondary school with over

550 students in the Dominican Republic.

"By the end of 20 24, I see both brands

having achieved key milestone moments of

success, with Kove being available nationally

and entering the USA. I see us making a mark

for the brand online via Amazon and

receiving rave reviews, making waves as a

unique product positioned as a vegan,

gluten- free, low - sodium furikake.

"And definitely see Voes & Co. launching with

a key retail partner and having a few sales

partners in South America.

"I see us heading into 20 25 with a solid and

ambitious plan to build in Europe and launch

another one to two styles!"

D E S IR E E

S O C IA L

D U P U IS

E N T R E P R E N E U R

JIM I

BROCK ETT:

REA L ESTA TE

A GENT &

RIDER

Jimi Brockett moved to Canada in 1999

to pursue his dream of living the fullest

life possible in one of "the most beautiful

places on Earth."

Born and raised just outside M anchester

in the UK, Jimi trained in IT while in the

British Army. He eventually became an

independent IT consultant, where he

learned the value and importance of

providing the best possible service to

clients and developed extensive and

professional customer service skills.

To him, selling and buying real estate is

undeniably a significant endeavour.

"I won't downplay its importance, nor

will I attempt to persuade you with

empty lines to choose me as your realtor.

Instead, I'll share a fundamental belief

that drives me: putting others first and

offering assistance whenever possible."

Through this approach, he has

discovered that life becomes more

fulfilling the more he can give to others."

"My genuine passion lies in aiding others

in their real estate journeys, and I

consider myself fortunate to have made

this my life' s calling ."

075

077

Jimi possesses the traits of a creative

problem solver, a strategic thinker,

and a tireless negotiator. His mission

revolves around helping clients achieve

their real estate aspirations, whether

that entails discovering their dream

home, securing top dollar for their

property, or expanding their real estate

portfolio.

With a foundation built on hard work

and efficiency, Jimi brings a fresh

perspective to the real estate

landscape. By harnessing cutting- edge

technology and innovative marketing

strategies, he presents his clients'

properties in the best possible light.

Additionally, Jimi produces informative

and often entertaining Instagram and

YouTube videos that offer tips and

resources for home buyers and sellers.

IN HIS

WORDS

"From a young age, I always sought

ideas and avenues to make money and

create wealth or a business. I started a

gardening business in my late teens,

which I kept running for a few seasons.

"In the mid- 1990 s, I was in my early 20 s.

I invested 2,50 0 pounds into an

opportunity, and a week later, it hit the

news that it was a pyramid scheme.

"I lost the 2,50 0 pounds, but through the

whole mishap, I gained so much

knowledge that there are no shortcuts,

and no matter what, you have to roll the

dice sometimes to find the hard way.

"In 1997, I founded an IT Consultancy in

the UK and ran it until I moved to

Canada.

"Once settled in Vancouver, I bought a

bike shop (Sharpey' s Cycles) in 20 0 7

to follow my passion for downhill

mountain biking and operated it for

three years. During that short period,

I increased sales by 52% from $359,0 0 0

to $549,0 0 0 .

"In 20 0 8, when I was 38 years old, my

life changed dramatically. My

4-year-old son was diagnosed with

inoperable brain cancer. This event

sent my life in a different direction,

especially after his passing just before

his sixth birthday.

"Sometimes, it takes a huge event to

shake us up and make us realize what is

most important in life.

"Watching my brave son battle for his

life with an amazingly positive attitude

and indomitable spirit made me realize

how important our attitudes are and

how crucial it is to give back to others

positively.

079

"Since then, I have been passionate about

giving back to honour my son and be true

to myself.

"Over the past 12 years, I have primarily

done that through the events The Ride to

Conquer Cancer and now the Tour de

Cure, which benefit the BC Cancer

Foundation and raise much-needed funds

to support cancer research.

"I assembled a team of just 13 riders for the

inaugural event in 20 0 9, and we raised

over $60 ,0 0 0 .

"Since then, Riders for Ryders has grown

dramatically and now is one of the largest

teams each year in this event. It has

collectively raised over $4,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 and

participated in all four rides across

Canada. With teams in BC and ON , we

continue to grow and bring in even more

money to fund cancer research.

"In 20 15, I became a Licensed Real Estate

Representative and began with Dexter

Associates Realty.

"Fast-forward to July 20 20 , when I moved

over to Oakw yn Realty Ltd. Within a month

of arriving, I had an epiphany. Why not me?

Why couldn't I be the recipient of all I was

striving for?

J IM I B R O C K E T T

R E A L E S T A T E A G E N T

"I had a new mission; through it, I

discovered my self- w orth and

self- acceptance and opened myself up to

self- love.

"I realized the abundance in this universe

and that it's available to everyone, not just

certain people. Once that shift happened,

my business changed overnight.

"M ichael Yu, the founder of Oakw yn

Realty, told me the very first day I met him,

"You can achieve your dreams; I believe in

you." It was an emotional moment because

no one had ever said that to me before.

"My best advice would be from N ike. ' Just

Do It.' It sounds so simple but so true. As

humans, we doubt so much and never pull

the trigger on reaching for our dreams. If

you don't ever try, you always fail.

"My business needs amazing clients who

are embracing this thing called life and

who need real, authentic, genuine, and

no- BS help with their real estate needs.

"My approach has always been to help

people first. That' s my passion. I am not for

everyone, but those who want to join

together will achieve their goals.

"My journey has been long and varied. I've

always been open to trying and taking

educated risks most of the time, and as

such, by the end of 20 24, I will project

doubling my business and achieving the top

1% of all Greater Vancouver Realtors -

currently, I am in the top 10 %."

"Service to others is the rent you pay for

your room here on earth." ~ Muhammad Ali

JILL

SINCLA IR:

TRA INING &

DEVELOPM ENT

SPECIA LIST

081

Jill Sinclair is a renowned Training &

Development Specialist, author, TEDx

and International Keynote Speaker

who has helped countless businesses

and individuals achieve their goals.

With her no- nonsense approach, she

crafts messages that speak directly to

the needs of her audience, providing

tangible, real- life examples that can

be implemented to drive positive

change.

Jill has shared the stage with Ryan

Serhant from M illion Dollar Listing

N ew York and will be featured in an

upcoming television series called

' COACH' with Ed M ylett, David

M eltzer, Jim Kw ik, and many more.

Her commitment to helping others

reach their full potential is evident in

everything she does, from her speaking

engagements to her training sessions

and coaching programs, and

volunteer mentoring youth.

With 79 jobs and entrepreneurial

experiences, Jill is a true collector of

experiences who is always up for a

challenge. She does not shy away from

anything and is known for her oft-used

retort - " Watch me!" - when faced

with naysayers saying something

cannot be done.

Jill's mission is to help others step into

their brilliance and lead with their

genius to achieve their life's goals. She

is serious about changing lives and

believes that training is not just about

memorizing information but about

living your learning out loud in your

daily life to achieve success.

Jill's passion for being a Keynote

Speaker, Training & Development

Specialist, and Performance Coach is

unmatched. Her reputation for

excellence and her unw avering

commitment to helping others succeed

make her a valuable asset to any

business or individual looking to take

their performance to the next level.

083

IN HER WORDS

"At 23 years old, I worked in Human

Resources at Surrey M emorial Hospital

and took fitness leadership and personal

training courses at night. When

unexpectedly laid off, I took a four- month

trip to Asia and then returned and started

a fitness company. I had 18 employees,

held fitness classes at the community hall,

and rented out gymnasiums at four local

schools.

"When I was still in Health & Fitness, one of

my clients worked for ICBC and said they

had a new program they were trying to

launch called the Recovery M anagement

Program. This program was an external

contract to work with people who had been

in car accidents where their injuries were

mostly soft tissue damage and bring them

back to their pre-injury state.

"As I travelled to all of the ICBC locations, I

became known as " Jilly Wonka" because

when I met with the adjusters to convince

them about this program to benefit their

centres and help their clients, I would

always attach a Hershey Kiss to my business

card. It was always a sweet visit, and I

certainly convinced them to utilize this very

successful program.

"I have had over 79 job experiences and

entrepreneur opportunities. That is neither

praisew orthy nor cringe- w orthy; it is

simply a part of my journey. I have been a

trampoline instructor, shoe salesperson,

radio show host, janitor, hair apprentice,

3rd mate on a sailboat, CEO, furniture

designer, speed dating host, author, realtor,

and so many more.

"Looking back, I've always been especially

taken by the kinds of experiences that have

enabled me to solve problems and help

people succeed. I got into business

coaching and consulting as a realtor very

organically.

"I was doing exceedingly well, and the

other realtors kept approaching me and

asking me how I was doing it. So, I began

training others and knew, without a doubt,

that THIS was my jam. Training and

development and keynote speaking are my

life's blood. They get me out of bed in the

morning and put a smile on my face daily!

"From 23 to 25 years old, I operated the

fitness business and then sold it. This was the

era of the new w omen' s only gyms with all

the fancy new equipment, powder rooms,

and sparkle opening up left and right. So it

was either to get some investors and build

a copycat or sell it to the person who

wanted a small and manageable business

that focused more on the community.

"From 36 to 38 years old, I had a furniture

design company and sold it to my business

partner as he wanted to move in a different

direction.

"My life is continually evolving joyfully, and I

am eager to collect even more

experiences! You know, the older I get, the

more I am at peace w ith myself, my

surroundings and my future. I do not get

emotional about inane things. Although I am

an extremely passionate person with the

life-changing work that I do, I do not get

hung up on the dumb shit . Life's too short

to be anything but grateful and joyful.

"The young people I volunteer mentor

are who genuinely deserve to get the

props and the accolades. These young

people are hungry to learn, be

accepted as they are, and be a better

human.

"It Is so humbling knowing that my time

with these young people is making a

difference in their lives, and even

though most of them come from broken

families, poverty, abuse and neglect,

they thrive w hen someone believes in

them and invests their time with them.

They make ME want to be a better

person and keep helping others.

"At one point, I did take a slight detour

to be the CEO of a company after many

requests from the owners. As I immersed

myself in the role, I soon found that these

ow ners lacked integrity, morals, and

business sense. When I realized this, I

quickly resigned, promptly went home,

and re-created my website for my

business training and development and

keynote speaking.

"The first business and sales conference I

put on was called ' Hustler Sophisticate

Speaker Series' (after my book of the

same name published in 20 19).

"I produced, hosted, keynoted, sold all

the sponsorships, handled the logistics,

and more. I had a reality television and

media star, Ryan Serhant, come to be

the headliner, and I was also a Keynote

Speaker for this event. I thought, if I do

this, I will go big!

"People said I would lose money on this

and it wouldn't be as successful as my

first conference. I said, watch me. It was

sold out and launched my speaking

career and led to me being asked to do

my TEDx Talk, guest star on television

shows and put me on the map with other

keynote speakers that had been in the

industry for at least 15 years more than

me. I've been named in the ' Top 30

M otivational Speakers in the World by

Global Gurus' for 20 24.

"Ultimately, my goal is to be the most

booked speaker in the w orld. That

means I get to change more lives by

getting on more stages, training, and

helping more people. I was told that " I

don' t just motivate, I inspire" because

of my ability to share my lived

experiences and truly connect with my

audiences beyond the stage.

"By the end of 20 24, I plan to be

booked on 25 more stages to share

communication and leadership training

for businesses, inspiration for

conferences, and tangible takeaways

for all to implement into their lives for

positive change."

J IL L

S IN C L A IR

T R A IN IN G & D E V E L O P M E N T S P E C IA L IS T

085

087

PORTFOLIO.YVR

VOLUM E 2 / ISSUE 3

Helen Siw ak , EIC & Publisher

EcoLux Luv M ark eting & Communications Inc.

PHOTO CREDITS:

COVER/ BACK: COURTESY DESIREE DUPUIS

001-022: JADE MASSIE

003-012: COURTESY DAWN CHUBAI

013-022: COURTESY JOSH RIMER

023-030: COURTESY JULIA BURAKOVA

031-038: COURTESY KIRSTEN LARSEN

039-048: COURTESY HEATHER URQUHART

049-058: COURTESY KRISTY O'LEARY

059-066: COURTESY NATHAN MAHEY

067-074: COURTESY DESIREE DUPUIS

075-080: COURTESY JIMI BROCKETT

081-086: COURTESY JILL SINCLAIR

087-088: COURTESY DAWN CHUBAI

All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by

this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in

any form or by any means, without written permission.

PORTFOLIO.YVR does not accept unsolicited materials or

accept any responsibilities for incorrect information as

all information is deemed to be accurate as of date of

publishing.

PORTFOLIO.YVR is published quarterly by EcoLuxLuv

Marketing & Communications Inc. and is a marketing tool

of sponsored content designed to augment services

provided by the company.

Submissions for inclusion in PORTFOLIO.YVR should be

directed to the publisher via the email below. All

submissions are screened for suitability by the publisher.

To discuss inclusion in upcoming 20 24 issues, email

info@folioyvr.com and request a M edia Kit.

PORTFOLIO.YVR


VOLUM E 2 | ISSUE 3

DA WN CHUBA I

JOSH RIM ER

JULIA BURA K OVA

K IRSTEN LA RSEN

HEA THER URQUHA RT

K RISTY O'LEA RY

NA THA N M A HEY

DESIREE DUPUIS

JIM I BROCK ETT

JILL SINCLA IR

PORTFOLIO.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine | Volume 2 | Issue 3 | 2024

Transform your PDFs into Flipbooks and boost your revenue!

PORTFOLIO.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine | Volume 2 | Issue 3 | 2024

Transform your PDFs into Flipbooks and boost your revenue!

Delete template?

Save as template ?