Episodes

• Season 4

• Eva Barboni, CEO and Founder, Atalanta | Building that dream job for yourself

  This week’s episode features a conversation with Eva Barboni, Founder and CEO of Atalanta, a consultancy that helps women candidates and candidates with a platform built around the advancement of women’s rights get elected around the world. Atalanta aims to help shape public opinion, raise awareness of global issues, and mobilise communities and funding for initiatives that help make the world a better place. After her experience working on political campaigns in the US and globally, Eva was challenged to think about what her dream job would be. She imagined a company just like Atalanta, and within a short while, she had gone ahead and made it happen. This is a conversation about making our professional dreams come true and about overcoming the limits we often impose ourselves as women. This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support! ————— Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/businessbanking/small-business/women-in-business/ Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale
  October 27, 2020

  37 min

• Janice Engel and Carlisle Vandervoort | Director and Producer, Rise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins

  This week’s episode features a conversation with Janice Engel and Carlisle Vandervoort, director and producer of the award-winning documentary ‘Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins” being released in the UK just in time for the upcoming US elections. Molly Ivins, a columnist, was dubbed “six feet of Texas trouble”. She took on the ‘Good Old Boy’ corruption wherever she found it—most notably through her razor sharp attacks against President Bush, father and son. Her wit left both left-wing and right-wing laughing, and wanting more of her writing. Molly knew the Bill of Rights was in danger, and she said at the time: "Polarizing people is a good way to win an election and a good way to wreck a country." Her words could not ring more true today. Janice and Carlisle share the story behind making their documentary about Molly, from knowing instantly this was the subject to go forward with to trying to raise funds to make a movie about a progressive journalist in the pre-Trump era. They talk about the passion needed to bring such a project to fruition, and share the lessons they’ve drawn from Molly’s wisdom and life journey. ————— Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/businessbanking/small-business/women-in-business/ Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale
  October 20, 2020

  42 min

• Vanessa Barboni Hallik | CEO, Another Tomorrow | Making a risky career pivot work

  Vanessa Barboni Hallik left a successful career in finance to launch her own brand of sustainable luxury garments, Another Tomorrow, with every decision guided by a value system based on three pillars: human, animal, and environmental welfare. Launching just before Covid hit with a direct-to-consumer model and one wholesale partner already secured— none other than Moda Operandi—Vanessa kept her sight on her goals and forged ahead. Listen to her conversation with Eva Hartling to find out what inspired the riskiest move of her life, her career pivot from finance to fashion, and why she thinks the way we make clothing can be a pathway to activism. ————— Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/businessbanking/small-business/women-in-business/ Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale
  October 13, 2020

  45 min
• Season 3

• Myriam Maguire | Co-founder, Maguire | Taking more risks

  Myriam Maguire is the Co-founder and Creative Director of Maguire, a design-led footwear brand that got its start in Montreal. In this conversation, Myriam shares her advice around challenging the boy’s club, risk-taking and going after your entrepreneurial dreams. After graduating from Cordwainers College in London, UK and interning for established names such as Jonathan Saunders, then later working for fashion brands including Aldo where she learned the industry’s ropes, Myriam made the decision to launch her own brand focused on style and with the goal of providing affordable yet quality products. Inspired by brands that provide transparency on their cost structure, Myriam created Maguire with e-comm operations and a first boutique in Montreal, later to open a second boutique in Toronto. This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support! ————— Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/businessbanking/small-business/women-in-business/ Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale
  October 2, 2020

  35 min

• Sage Paul | Designer and Founding Member, Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto | Honouring the know-how passed down from other women

  Our guest this week is Sage Paul, Founding Member and Creative Director of Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto. An urban Denesuliné tskwe and a member of English River First Nation, she is an award-winning artist and designer as well as a recognized leader of Indigenous fashion, craft and textiles. Her work centres around family, sovereignty and resistance for balance. Sage is getting ready for the next (virtual) edition of Indigenous Fashion Week and she spoke to Eva Hartling about the need for better representation in the industry and a potential collaboration model that can help do good (she recently led a collaboration with Canadian retailer Simon’s). She also shared her desire to honour the knowledge passed down from previous generations and her support for the generation coming up, her ‘little sisters’ who she wants to help empower. This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support! —————- Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/businessbanking/small-business/women-in-business/ Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale
  September 25, 2020

  35 min

• Laura Nezri | Founder, Maison Tess | Don't feel guilty about juggling business and family

  Laura Nezri was focused on raising her family until she founded Maison Tess, based on an idea that came to her after she searched high and low for the perfect stylish bedding for her own home and realized there was a gap in the market. Cue in her new venture, focused on beautiful sheets made of oeko-certified natural fibres including cotton and linen, sourced in Europe from ethical agriculture and marketed from Canada,. Maison Tess, despite being focused on one specific category in homewares and using a direct-to-consumer channel only, saw rapid success and sustained growth. Laura teaches us that it’s never too late to act on our entrepreneurial vision, and insists on the importance of never feeling guilty as women who juggle business and family life! This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support! —————- Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/businessbanking/small-business/women-in-business/ Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale
  September 18, 2020

  34 min

• Jo Notkin | Chef and Owner, Zoe Ford Catering | Always do things your own way

  Jo Notkin has turned a passion for food into a career, although she used to have a completely different job, working in the jewelry industry and later in textile design. Leveraging her creativity and knack for business, Jo runs one of Montreal’s most successful catering companies, Zoe Ford. She was also selected as a contestant on the last season of TopChef Canada, where she made it through 6 episodes out of 8. If you’ve had the chance to try Jo’s carrot cake or any other item from the Zoe Ford Deli, you know how talented she is! Listen for great advice on starting your business as a second or third career, and the importance of doing what you love, always your own way. This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support! —————- Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/businessbanking/small-business/women-in-business/ Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale
  September 11, 2020

  34 min

• Melanie Ellezam | Founder and Creative Director, Olmsted Outerwear | Entrepreneurs who do good

  Melanie Ellezam created Olmsted Outerwear with the desire to do things differently. By committing to a sustainable supply chain and manufacturing process, Melanie established a brand anchored in “slow fashion” where products are conceived with the good of the planet in mind, as well as the good of the humans making them, and of the humans wearing them. Melanie found inspiration in the work of Frederick Law Olmsted, the American landscape architect and mastermind responsible for the creation of Central Park in New York City, and Mount Royal Park in Montreal. Aligning with Olmsted’s approach to letting nature run its course, and a vision for the long term vs the short term, Melanie has kept her eyes on the goal and has overcome the challenges that come with building a brand that is challenging the status quo. She spoke to Eva Hartling about her journey, what she’s learned along the way as well as her wish for the future of humanity and the responsibilities she thinks entrepreneurs have. This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support! —————- Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/businessbanking/small-business/women-in-business/ Olmsted Outerwear: olmstedouterwear.com Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale
  August 25, 2020

  38 min

• Carrie Ellen Philips | Co-founder, BPCM | Carrie Ellen Phillips | Co-founder, BPCM | The art of marketing sustainability

  This week, we’re taking a deep dive into sustainability — all aspects of it — and the changes that need to take place in our world, both from a consumers’ standpoint, as well as from the brands that are manufacturing the products we consume. Our guest, Carrie Ellen Phillips, is absolutely passionate about sustainability, the circular economy and most of all, about helping companies carve out a new model for lasting change. Carrie is the co-founder of BPCM, one of the world’s leading fashion PR agencies with offices in New York, Los Angeles and London, as well as a Sustainability Educator. We spoke to Carrie about her personal journey and her path as a woman entrepreneur; how she views the challenges ahead and how Covid and Black Lives Matter have influenced our views as consumers and as humans. Carrie also shared with us the roadmap she recommends for companies looking to pivot to a sustainable positioning. This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support! —————- Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/businessbanking/small-business/women-in-business/ BPCM: sadebaron.com Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale
  August 18, 2020

  61 min

• Rachel Lambo | CEO and Co-founder, Sade Baron | Building a successful brand from a side hustle

  Rachel Lambo founded body skincare brand Sade Baron with her mom after some convincing. While the brand has been a side hustle, it took off organically, pun intended — all Sade Baron products are all high-quality and vegan, packed with nutrient-rich superfoods that are good for both our skin and our planet. Today, retailers such as The Detox Market carry the brand and it’s become a favourite among beauty editors. We spoke to Rachel about the challenges of launching a brand in a saturated market; the benefits of running a purpose-driven brand and what her hopes are for Black-owned brands today and tomorrow. This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support! —————- Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/businessbanking/small-business/women-in-business/ Sade Baron: sadebaron.com Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale
  July 27, 2020

  47 min

• Chantal Carter | Founder, Love & Nudes | Disrupting the lingerie industry

  Chantal Carter has revolutionized the underwear industry by introducing nude undergarments that actually match everyone’s skin tone, including BIWOC’s. In an industry that is known for being traditional and having few disruptors, Chantal and her brand, Love & Nudes, are true trailblazers. In this episode, we speak with Chantal about the inspiration behind Love & Nudes, how the fashion industry still has a long way to go to reflect real diversity, and her journey as a Black female founder. This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support! —————- Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/businessbanking/small-business/women-in-business/ Love & Nudes: loveandnudes.com Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale
  July 13, 2020

  45 min

• Bianca Osbourne | Chef and On-air food expert | Feeling good about food

  As women, we often have a complicated relationship with food. From the society we live in where diet culture and pressures around body image and “health” are pervasive to our own struggles with figuring out what is right for our body. We know nutrition is a key element when it comes to our health, affecting everything from our immune and reproductive systems to our energy levels— even our hair and skin. In this episode, we speak with Bianca Osbourne who has turned a passion for food and cooking into a successful career (when we recorded this episode Bianca was starting production on her very own TV cooking show!). Bianca spoke to us about what food means to her, how nutrition plays a role in her personal approach to wellness (she starts every day with a fresh squeezed celery juice, and swears by perfectly foam-topped oat milk lattes which are great for skin) and she talks about making it as a professional chef and on-air cooking expert. This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support! This episode is presented by Jamieson Vitamins. Use the code​ thebrandisfemale​ to receive 20% off your order at jamiesonvitamins.com​ and keep an eye on our Instagram page where 3 of you will have a chance to win supplements from the Jamieson Women’s Health collection! From now until July 31st, every time the Jamieson campaign hashtag #HereForHerHealth is used, 50 cents will be donated to the​ ​Canadian Women’s Foundation​. Connect with Jamieson on Instagram:​ ​@jamiesoncanada. —————- Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/businessbanking/small-business/women-in-business/ Jamieson Vitamins: jamiesonvitamins.com Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale
  July 6, 2020

  54 min

• Elizabeth Cabral | Founder and Creative Director, Purpose & Perspective

  This episode features a conversation with Elizabeth Cabral, Founder and Creative Director of Purpose & Perspective, a platform that promotes mindful consumption and sustainable practices for the fashion industry. Fuelled by a global pandemic and a racial justice crisis, consumers are demanding more of the brands and companies they shop from. We are witnessing the rise of global consciousness, but we know green-washing, pink-washing and Black-washing are still prevalent. Three years after the foundation of Purpose & Perspective, we speak to Liz about what’s changed, and what still needs to happen to truly see companies align with purpose and social values. . This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support! —————- Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com Purpose & Perspective: purposeandperspective.co TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/businessbanking/small-business/women-in-business/ Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale
  June 29, 2020

  53 min

• Afiya Francisco- Founder, The Style House: how to talk about racism and support Black entrepreneurs

  This episode features an interview with Afiya Francisco, Style Expert for on-air and print media and the Founder of The Style House. Afiya has built an impressive career in fashion and lifestyle in the past decade— she appears as a regular contributor on Canada’s leading TV networks and collaborates with publications and brands on style content. In this convo with The Brand is Female, Afiya talks about her professional milestones and she also shares her guidance on addressing the complex question of racism with our children, our friends and family, and the best way of stepping up for Black entrepreneurs and Black-owned brands in our communities. For more content by Afiya, we highly recommend checking out her Kitchen Talk series on race, over at The Style House. To support Black-owned brands, check out this list of Afiya’s current faves: Love and Nudes Okoko Cosmetics Brother Vellies Omi Woods Petits Genoux Goodee Saint Lyon Bôhten Eyeglasses Pretty Denim Sade Baron This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!
  June 18, 2020

  38 min

• Elizabeth Vazquez and Marie Muldowney- Council on Scaling Women-Owned Businesses

  This episode features an interview with Elizabeth Vazquez, CEO and Co-Founder of WEConnect International, and Marie Muldowney, Managing Director at the Canadian Securities Institute and Moody's Analytics. Through the Council on Scaling Women-Owned Businesses, WeConnect, along with their partners Moodys and TD, worked on a report that was just released this week, called HOW TO REBUILD GLOBAL BUSINESS FOR GOOD. In light of the devastating impact COVID had on the global economy and local communities, the report addresses why it is critical to be connecting access to markets with access to capital for women-owned businesses. Elizabeth and Marie spoke to The Brand is Female about the obstacles faced by women entrepreneurs across the world, preventing them from achieving their full potential. We talked about how women entrepreneurs can shift strategies in the tail of the Covid pandemic; Elizabeth and Marie also shared some of the concrete solutions that have been put forward in the Council’s report to be on the path to more inclusive business strategies, which will in turn create lasting change for the global economy. This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!
  June 8, 2020

  40 min

• BONUS EPISODE: Kassandra Churcher- Advocate for Education and Women's issues

  This episode features an interview with Kassandra Churcher, former Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies and the current Assistant Director for Post-Secondary Education services for the Inuit in Nunavut. Our last podcast featured an interview with Nontombi Naomi Tutu and Mungi Ngomane who spoke about racial injustice and systemic racism in today’s America. While the current movement of protest stems from events that have taken place in the US - police brutality, oppression and injustice - we would be wrong to assume that Canada is faring much better when it comes to systemic racism. We spoke about the issues from a Canadian standpoint with Kassandra Churcher, an advocate for education and women’s issues whose work has been focused on supporting oppressed minorities in Canadian communities, from incarcerated women through her work at the Elizabeth Fry Societies and through her involvement with Aboriginal communities in Northern Quebec. Kassandra also shared her recommendations for the best way to support minorities and help fight racism in our everyday lives. This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!
  June 6, 2020

  36 min

• Nontombi Naomi Tutu and Mungi Ngomane

  This episode was recorded in the midst of a racial crisis in North America. To discuss the issue, we called on two inspiring black women leaders: Nontombi Naomi Tutu, the Canon missioner for Racial and Economic equity at the Cathedral of All Souls in Asheville, North Carolina along with her daughter Mungi Ngomane, author of the book Everyday Ubuntu, and Business Operations Manager for Outvote. Inspired by the wisdom and action of their father and grandfather, Archbishop Desmond Tutu whose work was instrumental in dismantling Apartheid in South Africa, both women have made the defense of human rights and racial justice a central element in their lives. The Brand is Female host Eva Hartling spoke to Naomi and Mungi about their point of view on the current situation in the US; the struggles black women continue to face in North America; what allyship looks like in the current context and what changes still need to take place as the fight against racism and racial injustice continues in today’s America. This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!
  June 1, 2020

  72 min

• Karen Marshall and Tina Barkley- Co-founders, Fleurs de villes

  Four years ago, Karen Marshall and Tina Barkley founded Fleurs de villes — a unique, experiential concept that brings luxury floral installations to cities around the world. Karen’s background in international publishing and Tina’s experience as a lifestyle expert and serial entrepreneur helped propel the brand’s unique vision. Connecting with world class talent in each location they launch in, Fleurs de villes works with top local florists, designers, growers and nurseries, to create stunning and memorable displays of art that draw attention and create engagement. Fleurs de villes quickly garnered international attention and the brand has exhibited in London, UK, Chicago, New York, LA, Toronto, Vancouver just to name a few. Partnerships have been created with the London Portrait Gallery, five-star hotels and the world’s leading shopping destinations, among others. Eva Hartling chatted with Fleurs de villes founders Tina and Karen about the challenges of starting a business from the ground up and the importance of keeping a positive outlook… as well as the opportunities available to business owners amidst our new reality post-Covid lockdown. This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!
  May 25, 2020

  40 min

• Alison Gordon- Founder and former CEO, 48North

  Alison Gordon was known as one of the only women CEOs leading a publicly-traded cannabis company until she left her position at 48North to the surprise of many last March; with the announcement of her departure made through a company press release. In this interview, Alison and The Brand is Female’s host Eva Hartling talked about the reality of the still very prevalent glass ceiling in today’s corporate world, the achievements and headway Alison was able to make in the male-dominated cannabis industry, and they discussed the changes that are needed in order for women executives to have true equity when it comes to leadership and power in today’s business community. This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!
  May 18, 2020

  57 min

• SPECIAL EPISODE: Ingrid Macintosh- VP, Wealth, TD

  In this special series we speak to inspiring women role models from different backgrounds who share their views and advice for dealing with the period of anxiety and uncertainty we currently find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this week’s podcast we’re talking about women and wealth with expert Ingrid Macintosh, who holds an impressive role at TD Bank Group as VP Wealth & Head of Sales Enablement, Communications & Digital Strategy. Banking on three decades of experience in the investment industry, Ingrid shares her thoughts on how women can take control of their finances, a role we often shy away from for various reasons. We also discussed the specific challenges we’re currently facing with our personal investment strategy due to the impact of COVID-19 on global markets. Ingrid has had an impressive track record, being part of a small group of women to hold a senior executive position within wealth management at a large financial institution. In our conversation, you’ll also hear Ingrid talk about the fact that women are expected to control 50% of the financial wealth in Canada by 2026, and the shift this means for how the financing industry approaches women clients! This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!
  May 9, 2020

  427 min