By Lisa Richards

Finding Her Passion

Starting from scratch isn’t a new idea to seasoned entrepreneur Sarah Prevette. From being involved with new businesses in addition to building her own, Sarah’s familiar with the ups and downs of startups and has learned some tips along the way. “As a student, as I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work at a fast-paced, high-growth technology start-up,” remembers Sarah. “The exposure to a visionary entrepreneur and a dynamic work environment was inspiring. The experience gave me the desire and the confidence to pursue one of my own ideas. I started a pop-culture opinion site for teens called Upinion. This was my first start-up and led me down a path to where I am today.”

Her Story

Sarah’s story is one that a lot of newbies to the workforce can relate to: “As a young entrepreneur without a rolodex to turn to, I felt isolated and unsupported. I wanted to bounce ideas off of other people and engage in meaningful discussions around startup challenges. While my friends, family and colleagues were supportive, they just weren’t facing the same issues and couldn’t truly identify.” Where others may have resorted to complaining, Sarah saw an opportunity to take action and connect herself while connecting others. “I needed to connect with other startup founders. I was dissatisfied with existing options for early stage entrepreneurs and decided to do something about it.”

Making it Happen

“I decided to build a platform that startup founders could easily plug into in order to connect with other innovators and get immediate answers to their most pressing questions. RedWire launched in late 2008 and the rapid response further underscored the need and desire for such a service.

After our initial launch it became abundantly clear that the real value inherent in the site was in the advice and conversation happening behind the scenes on the private messaging service. We recognized that we needed to evolve the technology to bring conversations to the forefront and encourage greater dialogue between all members.

We re-vamped the site to make knowledge-sharing the focal point and launched as Sprouter in November 2009.”

In less than a year, Sprouter has grown entirely through word-of-mouth and referrals from its existing members. Through a variety of media, Sprouter engages the global startup community. “We want to be wherever the conversation is happening,” notes Sarah. “Twitter, Facebook and other social media has allowed us greater visibility and has provided us with communication channels to connect with potential users as well as media and other strategic partners.”

Her Mission Statement

As Sprouter evolved from Sarah’s own personal experience not being able to find out what other entrepreneurs were working on, it’s not a surprise that her personal mission statement and that of Sprouter are one in the same: “The mission is to connect entrepreneurs around the world for collaboration, knowledge-sharing and support.”

The Challenge (and the Success!)

Like many entrepreneurs, one of Sarah’s biggest challenges running a company is effectively prioritizing. “When you have multiple priorities and limited resources, it is sometimes difficult deciding what to do first. Sprouter’s success can be attributed to the contributions of our community. Our members provide us ongoing feedback on what’s working, what’s not and give us insight into where we need to focus.”

Hopes for the Future

As the word ‘sprout’ implies, there’s still growth happening for this Canadian startup. “We’re excited to be rolling out new services to further assist entrepreneurs as they grow their startups. We’re continuing to evolve our business in direct alignment with what our community needs.”

Her Advice to You

Ladies, take note. Sarah offers up some amazing advice for motivated and ambitious women focused on a great, not just good, career:

“Be unapologetically ambitious. Realize that your success is entirely dependant upon you and what you’re willing to do in order to achieve. Set ridiculous, audacious goals and push like hell to reach them. You need to be hungry to succeed. Success is 90% resourcefulness – those who succeed have a relentless drive and an innate ability to adapt to any situation.”

“Stop making excuses and just do it. Too many people squander their talents and abilities sitting on the sidelines just talking about their ideas.”

“Don’t be afraid to fail. You are going to fail. Everyone does. You’re going to have bad ideas, things are going to go wrong and people are going to say horrible things about you. Get over it. Realize that with every failure, you’re learning, adapting and getting stronger. Fear of failure is the first barrier to starting a company, and the hurdle that most people don’t make it past.”

According to Sarah, the first step is making the commitment to yourself, the second is to rapidly execute. Get out there and try.

Looking to connect with other innovators and entrepreneurs? Join the conversation to learn and share what everyone’s working on over at http://www.sprouter.com/

By Aurea Crotty

Finding Her Passion:

Joanna Track knew at a very young age she was destined for a sweet life. She accredits her passion for uncovering unique finds to her grandmother, who was as she puts it, a shopaholic. “It’s genetic” Joanna says as she remembers walking to the local mall at the tender age of ten to spend hours browsing the latest fashions. Her love of marketing developed during her corporate experience in the advertising and marketing world where she was exposed to, and inspired by, some of the world biggest brands.

In 2004 Joanna Track turned her passions into reality when she launched Sweetspot.ca, a Canadian website dedicated to uncovering the latest trends and spreading the word to savvy shoppers through daily online updates.

Her Story:

Joanna grew up in a middle income family in an affluent community, she recalls aspiring to achieve that which she saw around her, and used that inspiration to fuel her drive for success.

After completing secondary school at York Mills Collegiate she went on to earn a BA in Mathematics from the University of Western Ontario.  Joanna had a natural aptitude when it came to math so when deciding what to study she says it was a no brainer, math was her effortless route. Following that she completed her MBA at the Schulich School of Business.

Joanna spent over 6 years in the advertising world before deciding to venture off on her own.  As she puts it “I knew I always wanted to be my own boss.  After working in very corporate cultures I knew it wasn’t the right fit for me.  I was determined to create an environment where there was no, or at least very little, bureaucracy and where people would enjoy coming to work. When the idea of Sweetspot came to me, I knew it was time to take a chance.”

Making It Happen:

“I was inspired by a business I had seen in the US -Daily Candy” says Track, “after suffering from many stress-related illnesses I knew I had to do my own thing or I would never really be happy.  I took my passion for shopping/trends and my marketing knowledge and took the plunge.”

She got off to a rocky start in 2004 separating from her business partner of only 8 weeks.  With no money, partner, or staff and a very small database she believed so absolutely in her vision and her capability to accomplish it, that there was no doubt in her mind that she would triumph.

Joanna attributes making her fearless transition to her grounded upbringing which gave her the confidence to focus on the possibility of what can be, and to embrace the uncertainty of risk. She also had a great boss who supported her potential by allowing her to work part time while she brought Sweetspot to life.

In 2006, Joanna was approached by Canada’s largest publishing company Rogers Communications to partner with its digital publications division. Apprehensive at first Joanna expresses what a positive experience it has been working with Rogers and how they helped catapult her vision to where she imagined it.

Her Philosophy On Growth:

Joanna has always been focused on organic growth. She believes in “growing one thing into the next, as opposed to trying to do too many things at once.”

Her Challenges:

At first, Track states “the greatest challenge was paying the bills and figuring out how to stay afloat.  These days, the challenge is how to maintain our small, entrepreneurial culture and yet grow into a larger company, and be part of Rogers.”

Her Successes:

Joanna says there are two things she is most proud of: “The first is that I feel we have succeeded in creating a unique culture where people are truly motivated and happy.  The second is the rewarding feeling I get each time someone contacts me to let me know about the positive impact Sweetspot has had on their business after we’ve written about them.  I have had countless people let me know that we drove their sales/page views, etc. through the roof.  I love hearing that!”

Her Hopes For The Future:

A recent new mom to a beautiful son Teddy, Joanna wants to continue growing in size and credibility. She hopes “more and more people will come to know and trust us as a resource” and aspires “to expand into new categories, while maintaining our focus on lifestyle topics.”

Her Advice To You:

You never know if you really like to do something, or if you’re good at it, until you try it. 

I have a theory I call the “Lily Pad Theory”.  You need to jump from lily pad to lily pad.  Some may be a little to the left, or right, or back and forth.  But until you’ve really jumped into something you don’t really know what it’s all about.  And you don’t always have to move up the ladder to grow your career.  Sometime lateral moves, or even less senior roles, provide invaluable experiences.

Figure out what you love, and what your skill sets are. It is important to recognize your own strengths AND weaknesses.  If you can figure out a way to marry what you love with your skills, you will be successful.

What is the first section you pick up to read in the newspaper?  It says a lot about your interest and passions.

If you would like to sweeten your life visit Sweetspot.ca your guide to fashion, beauty, food and fun…

By Lisa Richards

Finding Their Passion:

Coincidentally enough, Suzie Orol and Jen Kluger both grew up making their own crafty beaded necklaces from a young age. Like kindred spirits, the ladies met during their first month while studying at the University of Western Ontario in a carpool ride from Toronto to London. “We realized that we had a shared interest in jewellery and we quickly started making a new trend of jewellery called the ‘floating bead necklace’,” say the ladies. “We were able to turn this fun hobby of making necklaces into a business while selling to our peers at school and to a few local stores in the city. Before we knew it, we had ourselves a summer job selling to festivals and concerts across the province.”  

The girls started Foxy Originals in 1998 and upon graduation from the Richard Ivey School of Business, Suzie and Jen left corporate job offers behind to grow their company.

Their Story:

“We always had a flair for fashion and grew up making jewellery. We started our company at the age of 19, and our passion and vision was to make high style fashion jewellery accessible to young women. We saw that there was a need for fun and fashionable jewellery at affordable prices!” says co-founder Suzie. “When we first launched our reversible style of necklaces, it was a hit from day one. People loved that you could have two completely different necklaces for the price of one. We’ve always tried to make our jewellery as multi-functional as possible, creating more bang for the buck! We wanted to be the added spice to any outfit.”

Making It Happen:

Like many new businesses, Foxy Originals started small. “We sold a modest line of jewellery to friends and acquaintances on campus and in the summer took Foxy on the road to various outdoor festivals and concerts,” explains co-founder Jen. “Before we knew it, Foxy was all the rage. Buyers began to recognize our company and the innovative, affordable designs it had to offer. It wasn’t long before Foxy could be found in boutiques across the country!”

“We have also tried to get our jewellery on various celebrities that we see to be a fit with Foxy,” continues Jen. “Some of our list of Foxy fans now includes Sienna Miller, Nelly Furtado, Tori Spelling, Katharine McPhee, Lauren Conrad, Miley Cyrus and Hayden Panettiere. We’ll often promote these celebrities wearing Foxy to our retail stores.  As we all know, celebrities definitely help sell any product!”

Their Mission Statement:

“We believe that happiness, excitement and fun are the perfect accessories to a fabulous life! Foxy Originals embodies these sentiments and gives women of all ages the tools to make their own look-and lives-a little more fabulous,” say Jen and Suzie. “Foxy’s vibrant and playful designs give our customers a way to add some sparkle and shine, in an individual way that reflects their own distinct sense of style.”

Affordability is also a key part of the Foxy philosophy. The ladies are of the firm belief that high quality and high style don’t have to come at a high price. All of their products are carefully crafted and made with quality materials, all at prices that won’t break the bank. Their signature reversible necklaces are the perfect example of Foxy Originals’ commitment to value: with two sides to choose from depending on your outfit or mood, it’s like getting two fabulous pieces for the price of one!   

Underneath Foxy’s fun styles and affordable price tags, is a commitment to making products in a responsible way. “We ensure that all of our pieces are created in a positive work environment, adopt ‘green’ practices wherever possible and believe in contributing to the community,” shares Suzie. 

The Challenge:

Jen and Suzie have faced a number of challenges during the 12 years Foxy Originals has been in business. “I think the biggest surprise, at least to us, was that there was no one to go to get all of our questions answered,” shares Suzie. “Starting our business straight out of university, and having had previous jobs, we always had a teacher or boss to answer our questions. This taught us to be resourceful, creative and think outside of the box – definitely all important attributes to having your own business!

Another challenge for us is staying true to our initial Foxy vision we began with which included aspects of ‘the ideal work environment.’ Our goal is to have a team that is based on the principles of inclusivity, fun, openness and creativity. In a rapidly growing business such as ours, ideas we used to implement like ‘Work out Wednesdays’ sometimes gets ignored. Because we are so busy meeting our demand.  The challenge is remaining committed to our vision and keeping up those fun traditions during the busiest of times. There always has to be time to laugh. We took our staff to circus school on Foxy’s 10^th anniversary and it was such a memorable and fun experience for us all! If you can’t have fun doing what you do, then it’s time to switch professions.”  

Hopes For The Future:

Jen and Suzie hope to continue to promote Foxy in new markets. Today, Foxy is sold in hundreds of stores across Canada and the United Sates and is quickly expanding around the globe. They’ve recently begun working with distributors in New Zealand and Malaysia and have been overwhelmed by the amazing response from these new markets. “It always amazes us on how accessible it has become to sell our product around the globe,” Jen notes. “We are so proud that our Canadian made and designed jewellery is so well received in completely different markets around the world!”

Our goal is to continue to stay committed to all of our customers and continue to offer them fabulous and innovative designs!

Their Advice To You:

The original Foxy ladies share their tips for women who are just starting their own companies:

Don’t be afraid to spend money when you believe the return will warrant the risk.

Do what you do best and let others do the rest

Don’t take anything too seriously, or you won’t be able to make it though the rough stuff

Use your resources and never be afraid to ask for help

Thank anyone and everyone who helps you along the way

If an idea or thought gives you anxiety, that means you must approach it and conquer it

Complacency will be the death of your business.  Growth is the only direction you can take.

Always have a pen and paper handy, you never know when the next big idea may hit

Know your niche…it is tempting to seize all opportunities that come your way, but success comes from selectivity, knowing your strengths and sticking to them. 

This is a very impressive year for women in America. Women have finally surpassed men in the workforce!  Apparently this threshold already happened for women in Canada last year, therefore increasing the confidence for Canadian women even more so! So go ahead and follow your dreams, you can do it!

To fox-ify your accessories drawer, log onto www.foxyoriginals.com  

By Lisa Richards

Finding Her Passion:

Leah Andrew and Andrea Lown wanted to have their (tiered) cake and eat it too. While planning their own weddings they were curious how they could create their perfect day without breaking the bank.

Since they both have backgrounds in marketing, initially Leah and Andrea planned on working together as marketing consultants but after a few successful projects together and a mutual interest in creating dream weddings at a reasonable cost, the two came together and founded SmartBride Boutique, a comprehensive classifieds site targeting brides-to-be around the world.

Their Story:

While planning their own weddings, both ladies noticed that as soon as they mentioned the word ‘wedding’ to vendors like caterers or florists, the price automatically doubled. That planted the seed making Andrea think about how to get more out of a wedding budget.

When she returned from her three-month honeymoon to Southeast Asia in 2007, she wasn’t ready to go back to a corporate job. “I started knocking the idea of SmartBride Boutique around. In February 2008, I surveyed more than 500 Canadian women about the idea of buying and selling pre-owned wedding dresses. Everyone LOVED the concept which was reason enough for me to push SmartBride Boutique from idea to reality.”

From their previous work together, Leah knew that their personalities and complementary skill sets would be the beginning of a successful joint venture. “My love for small business made this a no-brainer when we talked about formalizing our partnership. Andrea was working on launching SmartBride Boutique and her passion for perfection was obvious, and her enthusiasm about the concept was infectious.”

“As a duo,” notes Andrea, “Leah and I are very balanced in expertise and temperament. She provides nothing short of exceptional service and attention to detail to her clients. I knew she would bring the same work ethic and genuine approach to the business.”

Making it Happen:

“A lot of our growth comes from word of mouth,” the ladies pointed out. “We are always out meeting new people and touting the benefits of SmartBride Boutique. This means not only more people listing their dresses for sale, and more brides-to-be looking for their dream dress, but new partnerships, bartering for services and PR.

“For example, we just partnered with Windfall. They host three bridal warehouse sales and seven appointment days each year. Now you can view hundreds of dresses available at Windfall warehouse sale online at our site, helping Windfall to drive more brides to their sample wedding dress sales and giving the brides the opportunity to have a sneak preview of the inventory before showing up the day of.”

Their Mission Statement:

SmartBride Boutique’s mission is to provide a boutique atmosphere where past and present brides can connect to buy and sell wedding related items via a simple and easy online user experience.

Together the ladies of SmartBride Boutique have created a wedding resource where brides of all income levels can have the wedding of their dreams within their budget through online classifieds and other wedding related services.

The Challenge:

For Andrea and Leah, the biggest challenge of running a small business is that there is never enough time in the day. To-do lists tend to grow faster than you can check things off of it.

“The challenge actually lies in adjusting our expectations of ourselves,” say the partners. “In 2010, we’re working on maintaining a healthier work/life balance and praising ourselves for the incredible amounts of work we do complete, even if it’s not everything.”

Hopes for the future:

The original SmartBrides themselves have a series of goals for their business and themselves. “A cool office space, you know, the kind with big windows and an exposed brick wall. And new Dutch-style commuter bikes to help us get to said cool office would be great.”

They look forward to continue building a great company with passionate people in an amazing work environment. Ultimately, they can’t wait to enjoy a vacation home in France!

Their advice to you:

Leah encourages young professionals to look at every job and task ahead as an opportunity. “You just never know when those experiences and skills are going to come in handy. For example, as a product manager at AOL, Andrea was tasked to produce five music videos having no experience or background. Her knowledge of the video editing process was invaluable when we produced our own series of “Obsessed with the Dress” videos.

Andrea advises to choose a path based on what you’re passionate about. “Whatever it is you do, you better be excited and willing to share it with everyone who comes within three metres of you. Whether you’re waiting in line at the grocery store or attending a networking event.”

Now that gives new meaning to ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue’. Actually, more like something green – the money you’ll be saving!

Visit http://www.smartbrideboutique.com/ to make the most of your budget to create the perfect wedding and to check out the “Obsessed with the Dress” video series, log on to www.smartbrideboutique.com/owtd

By Lisa Richards

Finding her Passion:

The fitness bug didn’t bite Sammie Kennedy until the beginning of 2005 when she made a New Year’s Resolution to get into shape. “Before then I hadn’t so much as played on a sports team or even picked up a weight. The first few times I went to the gym, I had to be shown around and taught how to use all the machines.”

After reading a few fitness books, hiring a personal trainer and developing healthy eating habits, Sammie went from having an average body to competing in the FAME Fitness Modelling competition and founding a national women’s fitness company.

Her Story:

Inspired by the difference a personal trainer made to her own regime, Sammie hoped to lead other women on the path to achieving their health and fitness goals by becoming a certified personal trainer. Within six weeks she had a full client roster and a few months later, she was ranked as one of the top personal trainers across both Canada and the USA at GoodLife Fitness.

“At this point I knew that fitness was much more than a hobby for me, it was a passion. I left my full-time career as an x-ray technologist to open my own personal training company. When I started SkyHigh Fitness, it didn’t take long before I had a full schedule. In an effort to accommodate all of my clients I started offering group fitness training sessions in a boot camp setting. The first one sold out within 24 hours and the second did within 48. I knew I had something and that was the birth of Booty Camp Fitness!”

Making it Happen:

In the two years since Booty Camp started, the company has more than 90 camps across Canada with over 16,000 women having participated in the program.

Thanks to Booty Camp’s unique profit-sharing model, recruits (as they refer to their participants) aren’t the only ones benefitting. “As a personal trainer, I learned how hard it is to make decent money in the fitness industry. Some gyms max out at $50/hr, even if you’re a top trainer. With Booty Camp, I can compensate our Elite Drill Instructors like the superstars they are. Most make an average of $127/hr working just four hours per week.”

Her Mission Statement:

“Fun. Friendly. Fitness. When I started out at the gym it was so intimidating and male-dominated. Working out seemed like it would be more of a chore than something I was excited to do, so my goal was to make fitness accessible and enjoyable to women and create an experience where they could challenge themselves in a non-competitive environment.”

The Challenge:

“Seeing people taking my idea and trying to make it their own is both a personal and professional challenge, Booty Camp is my baby!” says Sammie. “But that’s competition and you have to expect it. I see every obstacle as an opportunity to be creative and grow.

Hopes for the future:

For Sammie, reaching tens of thousands of women isn’t enough and she looks forward to positively impacting the lives of more ladies. “To know that I’ve had an impact on the health and wellness of thousands of women across the country is an incredible feeling. Hearing their stories about what they’ve accomplished inspires and motivates me to keep going everyday. My goal is to reach 1,000,000 women through Booty Camp Fitness. I’d also love to expand the business to the States.”

Her advice to you:

“Always be open to new ideas and opportunities,” advises Sammie. “If you asked me if I ever saw myself as an entrepreneur, no less in the fitness industry, I would have definitely said you were wrong, but here I am and loving it!”

To find out more about Sammie and get your tush whipped into shape by the ladies of Booty Camp Fitness, visit www.BootCampFitness.com

By Aurea Crotty

Finding her Passion:

Growing up in Aurora, Ontario, Jackie Mirkopoulos always knew she had a passion for health and wellness.  Beginning her journey at York University Jackie completed a five year Honours degree in Kinesiology. Jackie says she knew her very first day of University that she was one day going to run her own health and wellness centre.

 She had found her passion and wanted to share her expertise with others. As she puts it, “another thing that has always motivated me to start my own business was to be able to share my passion about a healthy lifestyle with a large number of people in a very direct, hands on, one-on-one, personal way”.

Her Story:

After completing her degree Jackie wanted to take her passion and knowledge to the next level, she enrolled in the Sutherland-Chan Massage Therapy Teaching School and Clinic, receiving her RMT designation.

 ”After spending 6 years of post secondary schooling, I was ready to take all the knowledge and the skills I had learned and apply it to the working world”.

Being very clear on her dream of owning her own clinic, Jackie decided to dive right in and start her own registered message therapy business. “I knew it was going to be hard to become established at another clinic, build clientele and then one day have to move on and leave them behind. I wasted no time and started, by word of mouth, working out of my house and offering house call services for massage”- her client base grew quicker than she could imagine.

Making it Happen:

As luck would have it, Jackie’s father had some office space become available, “it was perfect… It was four walls, and a cement floor. The perfect empty canvas for what I had always dreamed about since my first day in university”.

Off to the drawing board, Jackie worked tirelessly brining her vision to life, after many building permits, lots of construction and help from her mom decorating; Hands On You Therapeutic Clinic was born.

Jackie’s vision to build a community that embraces health as a means to achieving a balanced lifestyle now had a home.

Her Mission Statement:

“To empower clients as partners in their optimal health and well-being by providing education and implementation of strategies for health promotion, injury prevention and restoration of health, through a variety of complementary or alternative approaches”

The Challenge:

Jackie admits that she is a therapist first and a business person second, “My biggest learning curve has definitely been the business side of things, accounting, marketing, managing, basically all the things that I overlooked when I was studying kinesiology cause I thought…when am I ever going to use this stuff”…well what a wake up call!

That said, she is up for the challenge, working hard and learning to be a strong business woman, Jackie plans to achieve her goals one day at a time.

Hopes for the future: 

Jackie’s hope for her business “is that it becomes not only a successful clinic but a place in its community that people know, trust, and believe in. I want to ensure the services we offer never plateau, and are always fresh and new. We are not just another clinic…we’re a one of a kind place, with one of a kind service!”

 Her advice to you:

“Go for it, do it now. Don’t be scared to ask for help and use resources around you. The only thing stopping you is yourself”.

“Don’t think that you need to start big. It can be very small and work its way up naturally to something on a bigger scale. I would like to share my favourite quote from Michael Jordan:

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

There is nothing wrong with trying something, especially if it’s something that you are passionate about. The thing is, when you are passionate about something… that’s when your chances of success are greatest. But don’t be afraid to fall down on the way, as long as you get back up.”

To find out more about Jackie and her clinic Hand on You Therapeutic Clinic you can visit her website: http://www.handsonyou.ca/