Filled Up Cup

On this episode, I am joined by Samantha Thiessen. She is the owner of Bluebird Pads which is a Canadian small business who makes period and incontinence products as well as lounge wear. We talk about the myths around period products and why switching to a re-useable product might be a good fit for you. We talk about the benefits and challenges of being a business owner while trying to also balanc...

On this episode, I am joined by Leah Corrin. Leah owns the award winning Essence of L Medi Spa in White Rock, British Columbia. As a child Leah suffered from cystic acne which lead to experimenting with makeup and dealing with embarrassment and bullying. After dealing with cystic acne for 15+ years, she focused on studying medical skin care in depth, accessing all relevant training in her field, a...

On this episode I am joined by Lane Igoudin. In his candid and poignant memoir, A Family, Maybe Two Dads, Two Babies and the Court  Cases that Brought Us Together,  Lane details his and his husband Jonathan’s fraught path through the Los Angeles County’s foster-to-adopt process. A Family, Maybe offers an unprecedented look into the adoption process as it affects the lives of everyone involved, fro...

On this episode, I am joined by Lindsay Sealey. She is an educator, consultant, mentor, facilitator, speaker, and difference maker. She is a girl advocate, girl champion, and girlhood enthusiast. She is a social activist and intentional about promoting local and global social change and pursuing her Ph D in Mind-Body Medicine. We discuss her newest book: Wild About You. Wild About You is designed...

On this episode, I am joined by Cheryl Sutherland. Cheryl is a Mindfulness Speaker and Founder of PleaseNotes, a for-purpose company of affirmation-filled products that inspire women to step into their power by building confidence, clarity, and creativity. Cheryl has been able to work with different companies to spread the message of mindset growth and human potential. Some include Wonder Women Te...

On this episode, I am joined by Carrie Valentin. We discuss her experience with finding out that her young daughter had a form of cancer, called Wilms, that spread from her kidney to her lungs. Thankfully, Sybil is currently in remission. We discuss the trauma that cancer caused in both her life and the ripple effect it had on her family. We discuss her decision to divorce her husband and how they...

On this episode, I am joined by Hayley Williams of Williams Wellness. In addition to being a business owner, she is a nutritional practitioner, holistic culinary chef and dance teacher. For the last decade, she has taken her health into her own hands and been on a journey of self-discovery and healing. In her teens, taking hormonal birth control led to hormonal imbalances, cystic acne and mental h...

On this episode, I am joined by Jasmine Ivanna Espy. We discuss her experience with having hidradenitis suppurativa. It can be a condition that feels lonely and at times has felt embarrassing. She has prioritized helping others not feel the same and bringing awareness to this condition.  Hidradenitis suppurativa or HS is s painful, long-term skin condition that causes skin abscesses and scarring o...

On this episode, I am joined by Kali Desautels. We discuss her book, How Not To Blog: Finding Myself, One Post at a Time and she gives us a preview of her newest book that takes us back to the 1960s. We talk about how complicated it can be to be a public figure online while living comfortably as an introvert in an extroverted world. We talk about how no one should send an unsolicited dick picture...

On this episode, I am joined by Robin Stevens Payes. She is a science writer, storyteller and author of the teen time travel adventure series, Edge of Yesterday. Creator of an interactive “learning through story” platform, her organization, EOY Media partners with schools and enrichment programs to offer internships, programs, classes and workshops geared to GenZ youth to learn through story and e...

On this episode I am joined by Michele Phillips. Michele is a wife and mom of 5. She is a content creator and blogger behind What Dreams May Become. We discuss her decision to get breast implants and her journey with breast implant illness. We talk about the symptoms of BII, what an explant surgery was like and how she found the healing process to be.  What Dreams May Become - Vancouver Mom Blog M...

On this episode I am joined by Amanda Edmiston.  Amanda is a herbalist and storyteller based in Scotland. She first learnt about plants and recipes from her grandmother who still remembered traditional remedies and folklore. After studying law and then herbal medicine, Amanda found it natural to start bringing together stories, plants, and magical places, drawing on the Scottish storytelling tradi...

On this episode, I am joined by Christiana Cioffi. We discuss Christiana's book An Unapologetic Spinster . After finding herself single in her 30's she decided to write these stories. They are approximately 96 percent truth, but 100 percent engaging and, dare we say, unapologetic. Woven between the good, the bad, and the bizarre of dating is a personal story of digging deep to find love....

On this episode, I am joined by Portia Chambers. In February 2022, Portia launched The WE Experience. A place where women can land softly and fully embrace who they are; the good, the bad and the ugly. Portia turned to healing, meditation and manifested a business where women from all walks of life would be celebrated, come back to themselves, and embrace themselves as they are.  Portia’s mission...

On this episode I am joined by Brittany Venner. She is a personal trainer, sports nutritionalist and founder and co-creator of Wants + Needs. She was a dancer from the time that she could walk and into her 20s. After she stopped dancing she realized that she was struggling with an eating disorder and struggled with self-acceptance. She also had breast implants and realized they were causing breast...

On this episode, I am joined by Elsa Borsa.  She is a trauma-informed life coach who aims to help women create stronger relationships, healthier minds, and belief in themselves. We discuss Elsa's journey with postpartum depression and how she became a life coach. We discuss the differences between a life coach and a therapist. Elsa Borsa Elsa | B.Comm, CCP, Pre-Social Work (@elsaborsa) • Inst...

On this episode, I am joined by Julie Peters. She is my first repeat guest that I have on the show. Julia is a yoga and meditation teacher, writer, Tarot reader, and counselor living and working in Edmonton, Alberta. We discuss her latest book: The Full Moon Yearbook. The Full Moon Yearbook combines lore and seasonal lunar wisdom from Indigenous, Celtic, and East Asian cultures in a colorful and b...

On this episode, I am joined by Jaime Bergman. She is the founder of Crescent Living Co. She is a home organizer who works with clients all over the Fraser Valley and Greater Vancouver areas. We discuss how difficult downsizing can be and how much guilt is associated with clutter. We talk about some easy tips on where to start by yourself and the benefits of working with professionals. Crescent Li...

On this episode, I am joined by Candice Diaz. Candice is the host of the podcast Finding Resilience Within. It is a podcast that doesn't shy away from hard topics and shares stories of finding resilience. On this episode we discuss breast implants and breast implant illness. Breast implant illness isn't a medically recognized condition but many people find themselves getting sick with th...

On this episode, I am joined by Mekisha Banks. Mekisha is the founder of Everbella, which creates self-care rituals that treat eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, dry and dehydrated skin conditions.  At the age of 13, Mekisha discovered that the common drugstore beauty products and conventional prescription drugs were not providing the results she needed for her eczema, environmental allergies, and ast...

On this episode I am joined by Lindsay Kay. Lindsay is the founder of the Slay Movement Collective, Slay Run Club and Slay Socials. We talk about why creating a community around movement was so important to her. The Slay Movement Collective is a movement accountability group for women. It starts January 1st, 2024 and costs $60. The movement goal is 30 minutes per day. The cost includes the opportu...

On this episode, I am joined by Angela Ivy Leong. Angela is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Founder of An Elegant Mind (AEM) Counselling Inc., a private practice that specializes in relational intimacy, sex, and psychedelics.  Angela holds a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology from the University of British Columbia. She has over 10 years of experience helping people from the lowest to...

On this episode, I am joined by Rose Finlay. She had a catastrophic spinal injury as a teenager that left her as a quadriplegic, which has left her fighting ableism, government officials and to have her basic needs met. We discuss the myths of disability coverage in Canada and how challenging it can be to find consistent caregivers. Rose has applied for medical assistance in dying (MAiD) not becau...

On this episode I am joined by Candace Sampson. She is the founder of the blog Life in Pleeasantville and host of the podcast What She Said. On this episode we talk about the family court system in Canada. Candace went through a 4 year divorce ordeal. She was awarded her family's home and once she was able to take possession the house had no utilities on for months. The house was flooded and...

On this episode I am joined by Amanda Kavanagh. Amanda is the owner of the Design Room, which is located in Surrey, BC. We discuss what opening a small business just before the pandemic was like and how business leases differ from personal housing ones. We discuss how the Design Room is different from a lot of salons and how she actively tried to create a different vibe that feels like home. Amand...