OV Boss Babes

OVBB Podcast is pleased to partner with Algonquin College Pembroke Waterfront Campus on our Boss Babe Corner series to feature alumni who went back to school and are now excelling in different industries! As an Algonquin College Pembroke alumni myself, I am proud to share my experience attending my hometown's campus, while speaking with others about the programs they graduated from and how they to...

In 2016, Kassy Boulay and Josh Reil decided that they were ready for a change and left their 9-5's to pursue their passion and go into business together, doing what they love - and that was making delicious food that brings people together. And so, they purchased the Perth Pie Co, opening their first retail shop in downtown Perth. In the business world, you often hear terms like network, mentors,...

Julia Weber, aka Little Miss Ottawa, first discovered her love for travelling after taking part in an international exchange to Australia, discovering all the different restaurants, hidden gems and fun things to do. This made her wonder why she wasn't doing this in her hometown of Ottawa and thus was inspired to seek out adventures in the capital, take photos and post them on Instagram. She now ha...

Reco Refillery is a zero waste store and household bulk refillery offering environmentally friendly products that are high-quality, locally sourced, and sustainable with little-to-no packaging. From Anupaya soy candles, Carrot Top Soap shop bath bombs, Pokoloko's Turkish towels, to White Lake Washing Co's natural cleaning products, there really are products that we use in our day-to-day lives rhat...

Welding is one of the most essential jobs in numerous industries all over the world. It plays a significant role in the creation of vehicles, airplanes, office buildings - basically anything that is made of metal. It’s also no surprise that there are more people are becoming welders and due to the massive scope of the job, more women are starting to enter this trade. Megan Tubman on B&M Custom Met...

Now, more than ever, we are trying to find ways to save ourselves time and to spend more time with our families and doing things that we enjoy. From hiring a landscaper to help tidy up our lawns, ordering our groceries online for pickup, or a talented baker to make delicious cupcakes and treats for special events. But for some reason, the longest standing service, hiring a house cleaner, is still...

Caroline Dorothy Rex initially didn't want to become a wedding photographer - but she absolutely loved taking photos of people and even though she was recognized for her skills in school, her education and career paths led her everywhere under the sun until she finally realized that her passion could also become her full time job - and so she pursued it (and is now crushing it, as she had 18 weddi...

It all started as a family owned commercial glazing glass business Brown and Macfarlane Glass, when customers started asking for printing orders on glass and then the demand for more items beyond glass began. Ashley Doucet bought a t-shirt press and so began her own entrepreneurial journey as requests starting coming in by the double - so much so, that she decided to open her own custom printing s...

Meg Yurkiw from Made by Meg Design and Heather Desormeaux from Nuthatch Artistry are two military spouses who are both strongly tied to their military community and had a strong desire to give back in a meaningful way that would truly make an impact. Meg stumbled across Heather's beautiful watercolour art prints on social media, and came up with a 'brilliant beyond brilliant idea' to collaborate,...

Fall has arrived and I'm sure that many of you have been counting down the days for sweater weather🍂, the return of pumpkin spiced lattes ☕️,and picking out your perfect pumpkin at the pumpkin patch 🎃, a favourite activity for everyone to enjoy! @scotchlinefarm is a locally family farm in @townofperth that offers pumpkins, squash and gourds of all different colours, shapes and sizes. Their corn...

Amy Lavier's son Cameron passed away on November 4, 2016 at 4 years old to a very rare type of cancer. In 2018, she and her husband created the Cameron Lavier Memorial Endowment Fund in partnership with CHEO. This fund raises money to support families who cannot afford to get to other locations for trials or treatment, as well as contributing funding to hard tumor research at CHEO. Since its incep...

After relocating to Madawasaka Valley, Dr. Colette Szalay, a chiropractor who originally had a practice in Peterborough, wanted to provide a centre that would house a variety of practioners offering holistic services to patients seeking natural health and support services all under one roof. Holistic practitioners offer a form of natural healthcare through complementary therapies and holistic prac...

With a career spanning nearly two decades and decorated with several awards, nominations and music certifications to her name, multi-platinum recording artist Fefe Dobson is a true renaissance woman within the entertainment industry. Emerging as a pop / rock artist in the early 2000’s, Fefe stood out among her contemporaries as an edgy black female outlier in an otherwise male-dominated genre. Her...

This month's Startup Ottawa Valley Champion Dorian Pearce faced an unprecedented time like many other small business owners did during the pandemic and had to quickly adapt to the virtual world quickly. Working in media production at a time when there were no in-person events, festivals or concerts for almost 2 years, Dorian Pearce from Kitchissippi Productions had to be creative in order to keep...

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But Sunny Side Breakfast Buffet not only makes sure that you receive a hearty breakfast, but that you have an assortment of breakfast meal options to choose from to keep you fueled all day long! This local breakfast spot opened 9 days before the pandemic forced businesses to shut down and going out to breakfast, let alone any meal, wasn't considered...

For too long, the cannabis industry has been known as a male-dominated space. However, we are seeing more cannabis stores that are female owned and operated, and Caitlin Coleman is the proud owner and operator of two Bluebird Cannabis locations, in Almonte and Kanata North, and she and her budtenders are focused on introducing a wide range of cannabis to new and inexperienced customers. Caitlin sh...

The Farmstead Cheesehouse & Gelateria is a seasonal family owned and operated cheesehouse in Laurentian Valley. With a focus on supporting local farmers, Stephanie Petermann and her family wanted to offer a space to connect daily with the people who live in, work in and visit the Ottawa Valley, connecting Ontario dairy farmers, artisans, and their own authentic Italian Gelato. This family business...

Eyelash extensions, microblading and lip fillers: many of us have at least tried at least one of these services. They are not only popular with millennials and Gen Z's but they are affordable and are a regular part of our self care routines. Kara Miles, owner of The Lash Nook in downtown Carleton Place, shares her journey to entrepreneurship and how she has not only created a space for her clients...

OVBB Podcast is excited about our latest partnership with Startup Ottawa Valley, which supports rural members through various biz resources, networking events, workshops, and highlights diverse and innovated businesses and entrepreneurs in our community. Startup Ottawa Valley is a network through the Upper Ottawa Valley Chamber of Commerce, whose mission is to connect with the entrepreneurship com...

More and more of us are wanting to enjoy fresh, local, and natural produce that's chemical free, fresh from the garden and support our local farmers and gardeners. And Gema Villavicencio and her family from Pure Conscience Farm in Bristol, QC practices regenerative and sustainable, organic farming, which means that their practices are centred around a holistic, integrated approach to farming that...

Riley Nixon is a 27 year old Canadian adult entertainer (aka porn star) from Brandon, Manitoba who ventured down a different career path than many of us but by nature, is still considered her own boss as she calls the shots, lives life on her own terms, and isn't afraid to get up close and personal for her fans. Nothing is off limits for Riley as she gives us us an inside look into the porn and ad...

We search all around for the perfect chip truck in the summer and us Ontarian's love our chip trucks! And good truck employees don't get nearly enough credit in the summer. Sarah Abbott from Bob's Fries in Merrickville talks about how she went from working in the social service sector and came to own her childhood chip truck that she used to work at while she was in high school. Sarah also talks a...

Massage Therapy is, by definition, a clinically-oriented healthcare option that helps to alleviate the discomfort associated with every day occupational stresses, muscular over-use and many chronic pain conditions. And Emille McKay, Registered Massage Therapist (RMT), along with her team of 2 other RMT's, have 3 mottos within their practice: client-centred care, trust and compassion, and community...

This month on Boss Babe Corner, we are shining a spotlight on several food trucks across our region that deserve some recgonition because many have been going at it before, during and after the pandemic. This week, we are showcasing Pura Vida Food Truck, based out of Almonte, ON whose mantra is all about bringing people together with food. Owners Michelle and Justin are highly involved in the heal...

Erin Curtis has always been passionate about supporting individuals with a variety of needs and she wanted to provide a personalized, evidence-based and family focused service that would address the accessibility barriers of ABA Therapy in Renfrew County. Erin is a certified applied behaviour analysis (ABA) parent educator and the owner of Dragonfly Family & Learning Services, and she and her team...