Welcome back to a new year of Thinking About! The new year feels like perfect time to reflect, reset, and dive into a year full of possibility. Whether you’re setting bold goals or easing into the new year with intention, this episode is all about embracing messy action and taking meaningful steps forward.

As we wrap up 2024, I’ve been reflecting on the lessons this year has taught me and what I want to carry forward into 2025. It’s been a year of dichotomies—beauty and difficulty, joy and sadness—and I think there’s something powerful in learning to hold space for both.

In this week’s episode, we are thinking about burnout, creativity, and carving a path in business that feels true to who you are.  We are joined by Emily Varley, Founder and Creative Lead at Stella The Studio, who helps people feel confident in their brand across everything from websites to social media. Emily shares how, despite following a traditional education path, a bold leap into entrepreneurship sparked the creation of her thriving business. She opens up about the emotional struggles she faced, leading her to seek therapy to navigate feelings of burnout—a diagnosis her therapist later confirmed. Emily reveals the impactful changes she’s made to avoid burnout in the future and busts common freelance myths that can perpetuate overwhelm.

In this week’s episode, we are thinking about the fascinating world of mediumship. We sit down with Roz, a UK-trained medium, to explore her journey of connecting with those who have passed. Roz shares how her struggle with grief led her to seek help, ultimately inviting a medium into her life—a moment that changed everything and ignited her curiosity about what lies beyond the physical world.

Today’s episode has us thinking about wellness, our nervous system and the true magic between two women entrepreneurs.  We’re thrilled to sit down with Tanya Kololian and Zoë Paliare, co-founders of trove, Toronto’s newest holistic restorative wellness centre. trove offers a calming escape from the city’s high energy, allowing visitors to stay in the city but feel off the grid.

In this week’s episode, we are thinking about the true power of social media and how to use it to genuinely connect with your community. We’re joined by Katie Campbell, founder of Katie Creative Co., a social media strategist and self-proclaimed social media therapist, who is dedicated to helping people create audience-centric content that fosters meaningful engagement. If you’re someone who’s struggled to make your social media content resonate or wondered how to stay authentic while building a community, this conversation is full of insights you won’t want to miss.

In this week's episode, we are thinking about the world of brand and website design with Emily Foster, the creative mind behind Emily Foster Creative. Emily, a skilled brand and website designer with a creative services-based business, shares her journey from a simple t-shirt design in high school to building a successful career.

Today's episode has us thinking about the complex feelings of self-doubt and the journey to authentic success with Tanya Geisler, a certified Leadership Coach, in-demand TEDxWomen speaker, and writer from Toronto. Tanya introduces us to the concept of the "imposture complex" her take on what is commonly known as impostor syndrome.

In this week’s episode, we are thinking about what it truly takes to build a brand from the ground up, as we dive into the entrepreneurial journey of Vanessa Smith, the owner of Refy Agency and proud islander. With over 13 years of marketing experience, she shares how entrepreneurship was always in her DNA, having felt the entrepreneurial bug from a young age.

Today, we are thinking about supporting small business owners and entrepreneurs through virtual assistants with Steph Faria, the Owner of Faria Virtual Assistants Inc. Steph kicks off the conversation by sharing her journey and how she got into the world of virtual assistance. Despite being in the business for four years, she recalls the moment that started it all—an Instagram story that sparked the idea to offer her services.

In this episode, I am thinking about common advice I share with clients and want to share with you! But first I throw down the concept of duality, reflecting on how this idea might continue to play a more significant role in the future of everything I do.

In this week’s episode, we are thinking about the housing market and making it a little less intimidating. Sarah, one half of the Duplex Duo, an educational company focused on helping people break into real estate through duplex investments shares the inspiring story of how an initial idea, combined with the passion and handy work of her partner, sparked a snowball effect that led to the creation of the Duplex Duo.

In this episode we are thinking about embracing the F around and find out mentally brought to you by our guest, Tenika, an international mixologist and owner of Drinks by Nika, a mobile event bartending and beverage consulting company that provides a variety of services ranging from corporate event bartending to mixology classes. Tenika reflects on her early experiences with her family, where hosting parties and game nights allowed her to experiment with mixing drinks.

Today, we are thinking about ads, ads and more ads. In today's episode, we sit down with Aashima Verma, founder of AV Marketing, an ad agency specializing in meta ads and consulting. Aashima takes us through the inspiring journey of how her career took off, starting with a pivotal comment from an ex-boss that pushed her to venture out on her own.

In this episode, I am thinking about the process of reconnecting with myself aka my "putting me first" era. I'm reflecting on how quickly summer has flown by and how each year seems to bring the same familiar feeling, especially as September approaches. September has always felt like a ‘new year’ to me, likely because of my past experiences working in post-secondary education.

In this week's episode, we are thinking about sustainability and how to incorporate it into our everyday lives as we welcome Romina, a multifaceted professional who wears many hats as a sustainable event planner, environmentalist, college professor, and more. Romina takes us back to her fourth-grade days, sharing a fond memory that she believes planted the seed for her lifelong journey into sustainability.

Today, we are thinking about being sexy and sober aka choosing yourself and raising your standards. In this episode, we chat with Courtney Croucher, an empowerment coach who focuses on empowering women through mindset work, values, and beliefs, which she states translate into confidence. Courtney describes her approach as blunt with a side of woo-woo. Beyond her coaching, she is also a Pilates and breathwork instructor.

Today we are thinking about quieting the doubt voices in our head and embracing unique spiritual journeys. In this episode, we interviewed Catherine Choi, the Founder of SoYoung, known for creating beautiful, functional, and durable bags for life on the go. Catherine shares her inspiring journey from no business background to building a successful brand.

Today, we are thinking about reflecting on our business and the power of just starting. In this special episode of the Thinking About Podcast, I reflect on the incredible journey leading up to the 100th episode. I share the impact of hosting a podcast, highlighting its many benefits; opens doors to connect with people otherwise out of reach, simplifies networking, provides a platform for long-form content, and, most importantly, it's incredibly fun. I also get candid and emotional, expressing the awe at surpassing the statistic that most podcasts don’t make it past five episodes.

Today, we are thinking about systems, systems, systems and striving for a well-balanced work-life culture as entrepreneurs. In this episode, Mackenzie, the owner of Sit Studio and a seasoned studio manager for creatives and systems specialist, joins us. Mackenzie delves into the nuances of her role, focusing on project management and behind-the-scenes work for creative entrepreneurs, and distinguishes her services from those of a typical virtual assistant.