The Brand is Female

With 15 years of experience in the hospitality business, Jacqueline Nicosia brought her flair for curated dining experiences and excellent food to Toronto with the opening of two restaurants, which she co-founded with her husband, chef Rob Marotta. Being a woman entrepreneur in the food space, Jacqueline experienced and witnessed first-hand the challenges of sexism that persist in the industry, and, today, her goal is to create opportunities and help break glass ceilings so that more women in hospitality can reach leadership roles.If you love food and are passionate about gender equity in the food and hospitality industry, this episode is for you. Jacqueline shares her love for Italian cuisine, her journey opening not one but two successful restaurants, ARDO and DOVA, and the barriers she had to overcome being a woman entrepreneur. This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

Michelle Faber learned to optimize her own mental health through yoga and mindfulness as a young adult, and when she saw signs of anxiety in her son, she began sharing her favourite practices with him. Seeing how much his emotional control and overall happiness improved inspired her to create a company that would help other children in the same way, and in 2019 she founded Little Yogis Academy.Little Yogis aims to improve physical, mental, and emotional health through wellness classes and workshops for everyone within the school and childcare community, including students, school administrators, teachers and parents. Serving close to 300 schools in two countries already, Little Yogis has adopted a franchising model to ensure growth and reach as many kids and schools as possible.In this episode, you’ll hear about Michelle’s approach to growing her company, building storytelling and brand pillars that amplify her dedication to mindfulness, and developing a business model that is scalable as a franchise.This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Vera Milan Gervais, an author, speaker, and award-winning serial entrepreneur who is committed to helping women develop the confidence to show up and succeed in business. Vera Milan Gervais has successfully built a number of businesses throughout her career. She is currently Co-Founder and Executive VP of HealthConnect Inc, a company that manages medical information services, as well as customer care and health education programs on behalf of companies in various industries. But Vera’s latest project, her signature Wordz We Wear program, explores how labels shape who we are and who we can become. Through her mentorship services, Vera helps women let go of limiting beliefs and tap into their full potential. Vera’s experience as an entrepreneur, writer, marketer and strategic consultant has shaped her perspective on success and well-being. Before she turned 18, a birth defect resulted in four major surgeries and left her with a leg length difference, scoliosis and osteoarthritis. Vera is an avid hiker, gardener, traveller, photographer and an accomplished businesswoman. In my exchange with Vera, you’ll hear her insights and words of wisdom — sure to inspire any woman in the workplace, especially entrepreneurs building new ventures from the ground up.This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Allison McNamara, founder of MARA, a prestige line of algae-infused skincare that became an instant favourite, selling out at retailers such as Sephora, Credo Beauty, Bluemercury and The Detox Market. Before launching MARA, Allison was a television host, producer and fashion & beauty journalist for outlets like POPSUGAR, Refinery 29, Who What Wear and Entertainment Tonight. Growing up in California, Allison has always been inspired by the sea. She spent two years developing the MARA exclusive algae blend, which has been clinically designed to plump, firm and smooth, with ingredients harvested through wild collecting in France and Ireland. MARA's first-to-market, award-winning formulas are made from algae, transformative actives, superfoods, adaptogens and mega hydrators. In this episode, find out how Allison built a successful skincare brand starting with only one product.This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Knoxx, the New York-based creative director for the brand DVMNPIGEON. Knoxx is redefining the rules of streetwear — traditionally a space for straight men — through her identity as a masculine-presenting woman who is part of the LGBTQ2S+ community. In 2011, Knoxx created DVMNPIGEON with the hopes of representing girls like herself, typically left out of the streetwear industry. She caught her big break after being casted in HBO Max’s The Hype, a streetwear design competition show, where she quickly made a name for herself thanks to her raw persona and impeccable design talent. She was a stranger to entrepreneurship but knew she had to make a space for women of colour like herself.This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Marissa Goldstein, founder and owner of Toronto-based The Daughter Natural Wine Bar + Bottle Shop, a wine bar that focuses on farm-to-table dishes to accompany a curated selection of unique wines. Marissa did not follow a straight path into the restaurant business. Before opening The Daughter, she gave up a career in real estate to move to New York. There, she enrolled in the International Culinary Center and later learned the ropes at Loring Place in Greenwich Village and Blue Hill Stone Barns in upstate New York—which is where she fell in love with farm cooking. Lucky for us, she came back to Toronto. In this conversation, you will hear about Marissa’s journey connecting with her true passion, and turning it into a successful business.This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Nadine Artemis, Founder of the celebrated, and cult-status natural skincare brand, Living Libations. Nadine Artemis created a line of all-natural skincare before the category became a trend. Her line of products, for which she sources the best raw ingredients from across the planet, has received rave reviews in leading publications from The New York Times to Elle, People and Vogue. Having been described by Alanis Morissette as "a true-sense visionary,” Nadine is still dedicated today to crafting elegant formulations and healing creations from rare botanicals and she plans on doing so until she is at least 120! Her concept of Renegade Beauty supports effortlessness and inspires people to rethink conventional notions of beauty and wellness. Nadine has chosen to grow the brand organically (pun intended) over time, and continues to be extremely selective about the retailers she works with, favouring a small batch and limited release approach, always placing her connection to customers, and to Mother Nature, first. This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Jane Riddell, President of GoodLife Fitness. With over 40 years of experience, Jane has worked in various roles within GoodLife and its parent company, from selling memberships to C-suite. As a member of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, Jane is committed to creating inclusive environments and supports diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. She has played a key role in shaping the company's culture at GoodLife Fitness, and ensuring decisions align with its core values. She believes that people are the heart of any business and actively shares her knowledge and experiences for personal and professional development. Recognized for her contributions, she has been named one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women and one of the Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity. Beyond her professional life, Jane is passionate about animal welfare and serves as a board member for Golden Rescue, an organization dedicated to rescuing and re-homing Golden Retrievers. She holds a bachelor's degree in anthropology and a master's degree in physical education from Western University, where she excelled as a varsity athlete and captain of the basketball team.This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Anna Sinclair, a former actor and performer who had to pause her career when she became pregnant. That’s when she started her business, Total Mom, which serves a community of mom entrepreneurs through its programs and partnerships, including Total Mom Pitch, where entrepreneurs across Canada can apply for $50,000 in grants and services. As the Founder and CEO of Total Mom Inc., Anna is dedicated to offering a professional community network to help women founders start and grow their businesses while juggling motherhood. She is also the Founder of the Canadian Women Entrepreneurs Gala, which recognizes and honours leading companies' influential programs, campaigns, and CSR initiatives that have paved the way for a more equal and diverse ecosystem for women in business.This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

This week, host Eva Hartling speaks with Melody Adhami, the “Queen of Apps.” Melody launched Ontario’s first private testing operation during Covid, with labs that conducted over 350,000 COVID tests for individuals and companies. Her latest tech venture is also in health, supporting women's fertility journey. Melody had quit her steady job working on brands like Dove, Hellmann's and Lipton to launch Plastic Mobile, a company that focuses on the emerging world of mobile apps. After a successful exit, she co-founded FH Health, Ontario's first private testing operation that helps businesses keep their workforces safe. FH Health became a leader in the Covid response with 20 clinics that provided individuals and clients such as Amazon, Apple, Netflix and BMO with a sense of relief and safety. Melody’s latest venture, Pollin, is based on a fertility-focused technology platform to power a full suite of person-centric reproductive health services. As an influential leader in tech and a recognized voice in the industry, Melody also spearheads an executive women’s dinner, bringing together top female executives to discuss how to get more women into more senior leadership roles. In 2017 she was awarded Canada’s Top 40 under 40, followed by recognition as one of Canada’s Top 100 Powerful Women in both 2018 and 2019 in the Tech and Trailblazer categories.This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale