OV Boss Babes

Performing her first stand-up set at 43 years old, Dawn Xanklin was part of the Ottawa Toastmasters public speaking club and had to take part in a 5-minute performance at Yuk Yuk’s that she planned on cancelling..but made it through the set - and didn’t want to get off the stage! And good thing she did, because fast forward just a few short years later, and she’s the 2021 Ottawa Faces Magazine awa...

Originally going to school for criminology and psychology, with the intentions of working as a police officer or in probation and parole, Stacey Bonfield’s career path took a different direction after she had her first daughter and decided to open Flint & Honey in September 2017. With a goal to provide quality clothing in an intimate setting, along with sweet summer dresses, cheeky candles and lif...

This well loved artisanal bread company’s recipes have been passed down through generations. With a business named after Andrew Chenard’s great, great grandfather, a love for baking bread and with unwavering support from family, Wilkies Bread could be found on the shelves at it’s wholesale partners or at its location in downtown Pembroke. But back in July 2021, the community was heartbroken after...

Feeling anxious? Overwhelmed? Unhappy? Not sure what you're feeling at all? These might be signs that your "check engine" light is on and seeing a counsellor or therapist could help. That’s where Lisa Bowman and her counsellors from Forging Forward come in, working with you using approaches that foster self-determination and promote resiliency, and developing a customized counselling plan with per...

What do you get when you mix a mother and daughter together in bowl, combined with dedication, laughter, and a whole lot of sweetness? You get a handcrafted dynamic duo who will bring high quality, delicious products that are free from common allergens, for you, family and friends to share and enjoy from their kitchen to yours: @sweetcheekskitchen! What started as experimenting with recipes, havin...

17 year old Ruby Pilatzke is raising money for diabetes research. Ruby was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 9-years-old. To mark the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin, Ruby will walk 100 kilometers in one shot from Arnprior to Petawawa on Friday, August 6, 2021, walking 20-hours along the backroads before making it to the Civic Centre in Petawawa. Holly chats with Ruby to ta...

Since moving to Toronto, Tiffany Astle always believed she'd own a her own public relations company that would bring brands to life through digital marketing, media relations, and social innovation strategies. Fast forward 8 years and that's exactly where she is, leading some of the biggest campaigns, brands, and musicians in the entertainment industry. Starting her career initially as Tiffany’s i...

Working her way to the top position at Hyundai Pembroke as GM was not just handed to Shannon Slaughter, as she not only had to gain the respect of her male counterparts, but also her leadership qualifications. Shannon and her team provides customers with personable, friendly and honest customer service as soon as you enter their doors, as they want to welcome everyone to the Hyundai family! Shanno...

On a beautiful peninsula on Golden Lake is the Lakepoint Cottages & Resort, where onsite managers Taylor Heon and her spouse Pierre’s number one goal is to provide their guests with a relaxing, fun filled stay while enjoying stunning views, breathtaking sunsets and sandy beaches out in Killaloe. Taylor shares how her and Pierre’s life of going back and forth from tree planting in the summer to tra...

In 2020, Britt Gillman, the owner and creator of Pine + Clover Apothecary, decided it was time to seed, root, and tend to her dream of supporting her community with plants and herbalism. She unintentionally carved out an every day way to practice what feels like homecoming: photographing, writing about, gathering and crafting with plants. Britt talks about wildcrafting bioregional herbal offerings...

Coming back from she thought was just a fun trip away to St. Lucia, Emily O’Brien ended up with two kilos of cocaine hidden underneath her dress, landing her in person. But this babe is on a mission to change our views about rehabilitation and the importance of second chances, opportunities and turning your life around and that is exactly what she’s doing. She’s been featured across the news, Incl...

Nicole Hunt got a taste of the business world at an early age, with her first job in retail at 17 years old. She gained valuable life skills, with one of the most important ones being customer service! As she began the traditional route as a working professional, she knew her passion of owning her own business was something she longed for. It was while she was off on her third maternity leave that...

Michelle Renaud and Erin Norris both found yoga the way most people do - with two feet on the ground. Erin and Michelle share how they decided to go from being part time yoga instructors to becoming co-owners, introducing traditional, SUP, and aerial yoga along with their traditional classes to bring a new and fun experience to yogis in the Ottawa Valley. The ladies share how AWE Yoga’s virtual cl...

Over the past 15 months, Julie McNamara and her team at Julie and Co., along with many other event planners and vendors, have had to recreate their event planning checklists to enhance weddings, events and other micro gatherings, keeping in mind provincial guidelines and regulations around wearing masks, number of guests, social distancing rules, and even whether or not a DJ would be allowed. Juli...

If there was a way to reduce your baby’s crying by over 40%, you get more things done (hands-free) and your baby will fall asleep - would you want to learn more? Of course you do! That’s where the Beluga Baby wrap comes in! Haley Campbell wanted to create a comfy and cozy baby carrier that was super breathable, stretchy and made of eco-friendly materials. Find out why influencers like Jade Roper T...

For the last year, we’ve been seeing more SOLD! signs then For Sale signs, new realtors popping up everywhere and competitive bidding wars on even the smallest homes. So what’s going on and why are we so riled about housing?! Nadia Pardy and Nicole Walters are two long-time realtors from Century 21 Aspire Realty and the founding partners of the Valley Relocation Team, where their goal is to get yo...

After decades of developing a love for hats and formal wear, Ranelle Larocque turned her passion into a creative fashion business in 2019. Her custom designed and handmade hats and fascinators have been worn at events such as the Queen’s Birthday Garden Party in London, UK, the Royal Ascot, the Kentucky Derby, and at countless Canadian and international military ceremonial events around the world....

Growing up in a big family surrounded by music, love and laughter, Becky McPhee wanted to ensure that her family legacy was carried on. After catching wind that a former restaurant became available in Combermere, Becky and her sister Shanti knew that they had to jump on the opportunity. And in 2018, after long hours of renovating and bringing their vision to life, the Heartwood Restaurant opened i...

Before knowing if social media was here to stay, Clio de la Llave knew she had a vision to help brands navigate the changing media landscape. And in her early twenties, she started her own marketing service revolution known as Booje Media. She is also the manager of former Bachelorette and recent winner of Dancing With The Stars, Kaitlyn Bristowe and together, the BFF duo have also created Dew Edi...

Originally from Lindsay, ON, Callee Kuiack always had a sense of fashion and was working in the retail industry since she was just 14 years old, quickly leaning the ins and outs of inventory, customer service, fashion and eventually, owning her own brick and mortar. After a long journey of working for others, testing the waters of working in child and youth services, and then coming up with an ide...

With a stunning interior vibe, a beautiful view overlooking Calabogie Lake, delicious eats, and the perfect Americano and Latte, Oh-el-la Cafe is a must see tourist attraction for both visitors and locals. Originally from Calabogie, Ella Guckes spent her early 20’s working in cafés in Europe, Asia and Australia. When she came home in December 2020, she decided to bring her barista experience and v...

A mother's story typically begins with a love story - and Jae Day's love story may be unconventional to some, but she and her husband just knew they were meant for each other after getting married just four short months of dating. What inspired this now-mother-of-four to become a doula was wanting to provide services to women in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), specifically mothers, after she had...

Emily Prout came up with the name of her business, Arrow It Forward, as she wanted to showcase the pay it forward concept and to set your eyes on what you want, focus in, and keep aiming because Emily followed her arrow and wants to inspire others to do the same. Arrow It Forward offers a line of handmade home fragrance products with punny names. Her soy candles, wax melts, room sprays, and reusab...

Do you ever walk into IKEA’s showroom and wish that your bedroom could look like that? Or when you’re seeking idea on Pinterest for your living room but no matter how many times you rearrange the room or buy a new lamp, rug or clock from Homesense, you’re still having troubles identifying what’s missing. With many of us working from home and spending every waking moment there, the pandemic is resh...

It all started with a woman who was determined to start her journey down the entrepreneurial path, someone who could make a difference for other businesses while making a career doing something that she had a true passion for. And it was when Amber Sweeney from Sweeney Curations was off on maternity leave with her first where she discovered her love for graphic design and ever since, she has been...