Power of Why with Naomi Haile

“The connection between women and economic growth is extraordinarily powerful.” Sandra Ng isn’t going to wait for more women to access venture capital. As a founding investor and champion of Invest Ottawa x Capital Angel Network ’s SheBoot , a Startup@Berkeley Law Venture Capital University alum, and limited partner with The51 Venture Fund , she’s leading the charge to bring them in. Over the last...

Paula Whitelocke is synonymous with curly hair care in Ottawa, as a professional hairstylist and the owner of Curly Hair Designs. A mentor, community builder, and musician, Paula recently performed at the National Arts Centre and launched her debut single, “Never Thought” in 2019. “It's important for me to be friends with the child and be friends with the shadow, as opposed to shunning it for exis...

Solange Zindzi was born and raised in Amsterdam and has roots in Curaçao, which is an island in the Caribbean. Solange started dancing at the age of 4, and at the age of 10, her mother enrolled her into dance classes to learn more about dance techniques and developing more in her craft. After years of training several times a week, in 2011, Solange graduated from the Lucia Marthas Institute of Per...

Christie Noua is the Founder and CEO of In Wholeness - a holistic nutrition and wellness company and brand where she works with people clients to help them construct nutrition and fitness programs that actually becomes a part of their lifestyle. Christie is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and personal trainer who believes that we need practical ways to nurture our lives and health. She has a BS...

Lola Plaku is the founder and CEO of Lola Media Group – a firm focused on artist management and brand development. And she is also the founder of Girl Connected - a mentorship program for women looking to build in the music and entertainment industry. You’ll learn: How Lola put on her first show in the music industry How to build rapport, relationships, and creative brands Knowing your shit and co...

Stephanie Harrison is the Founder and CEO of The New Happy – a platform that is focused on lasting happiness and how we can actually focus on changing the world for the better. Stephanie is focused on delivering the best content and does so every week, on Sundays. You can check out her newsletter here . You can expect writings and research where she will help you to redefine happiness (for yoursel...

Victoria Klein is an Author, mindset-meets-business strategist, and systems nerd who helps 6-and-7-figure service providers become streamlined business owners with a business backend overhaul. Over the past 15 years, Victoria has exemplified what it means to “just start”. She started 5 difference business, build skills and is now focused on her zone of genius. What I appreciate about Victoria is t...

Seble Alemayehu is the Co-founder of Yenaé (Ye. Nay) - a modern jewelry brand that takes you on a journey inside Africa through its exquisite jewelry designs. Seble believes that “anyone can make jewelry and sell it. We’re telling a story. Doing our part in sharing the rich culture of African countries” and this is why you must listen to her story. She is building something bigger than just a prod...

Rebecca Mazzara is the Founder and CEO of Calita Intimates - a sustainable women's underwear line made in Canada. I first heard Rebecca’s story at a live conversation at the Tease Tea HQ in Ottawa. I was inspired by her journey and the steps that she has taken to build her company from the ground up. Rebecca spent a couple of years at Shopify (in sales) – so she was very comfortable making cold ca...

Are you a life-long learner? Much of what we are seeing, hearing and experiencing in our world today is that while things are constantly changing around us, we have the agency to navigate what’s going on inside. Specifically, how we choose to invest in ourselves as humans … to grow in life and in our careers. Michaella’s story helps illustrate the power of charting your own path and saying yes to...

How you spend your “down-time” matters to your well-being and creativity. Do we still partake in activities because we simply enjoy it? I have been fascinated by the growing allure of hobbies during quarantine - the “ gentle pursuit of modest competence” . What happened to trying activities that are not directly related to your career? In this short episode, Alex talks about his podcast ( Time for...

So much is possible when you are clear about what you are working towards. In this episode, you will learn: How Victory strategically created opportunities to position herself as an asset in the technology industry, without prior experience What is possible when you work backwards from your goals Why it is important to speak directly to your potential customers about their problem BEFORE you launc...

In this episode, you will learn: Why understanding who you are when you are triggered is a part of your healing [13:30] Why self-acceptance is an important piece of authenticity [33:00] This week on the Power of Why I sat down with Meghan Wills. Meghan has 20 years of experience in diverse professions. Her experiences include Mindfulness Coaching and she also has a background in Human Resource Man...

In this episode, you will learn: The importance of asking “how can I be useful” instead of “how can I be successful” to achieve your goal How to communicate and pitch your ideas, products or services to people by outlining their pain points, instead of communicating features. How to get clear on the problem that you solve before you even talk about the product. Why building a solid business is not...

In this episode, you will learn: The types of empowered financial conversations you should be having with yourself and your peers Potential money stories that are getting in the way of your growth and An alternative view on retirement. This week, on the Power of Why , I sat down with Melissa Allen. Melissa is a financial advisor and impact investor. She is passionate about sharing what she knows a...

“You have to do what works for you at your own speed”. - Jay Sinha In this episode, you will learn how Jay built a thriving community of 120, 000+ plastic-free enthusiasts and advocates, wrote a book to share an important message and the highs and lows of running a business since the early 2000s. Jay is an accomplished entrepreneur, lawyer, scientist, researcher, writer and policy advisor – with t...

"When burnout is present, it is impossible to experience well-being". – Richard Balon. How many times have you ignored what your body was saying to you in times of burnout or depletion? How often do you sacrifice your health or sanity for the sake of pleasing others? Whether we are aware or not, our body is constantly speaking to us. Our body is telling us what it needs to be healthy, conscious, a...

Fight. For. Your. Joy. What does it mean to fight for your joy? What does it mean to claim who you are and your identity? And do so, unapologetically. In a time where the media, news channels, and advertisers online are vying for your attention and moments of peace, it has become crucial to exercise your boundaries and clarify who you are. As Joan brilliantly put it: "You either become so entrench...

In this episode, Gwen Elliot, Online Course Producer, walks us through her journey in TV production and how she creatively made her way into the eLearning space. And what an incredible space to be in. According to Forbes, it is projected that the eLearning industry will grow to $325 billion by 2025. Today, Gwen has co-created more than 30 courses reaching over 450,000 learners. She currently...

In this episode, Jesmine Onyeukwu, Organizing and Productivity Coach, talks about creating and intentional life through very simple principles. Jesmine believes that you CAN, in fact, "have it all" if you manage your priorities well. And that you can not afford to change the world at the expense of everything else in your life. Read the shownotes at: https://powerofwhy.substack.com/ Check out my w...

Fatuma's manifesto is that we each have a gift. That our souls are uniquely crafted to make the world a better and a more inclusive place. Her art is a way of self- expression and to call to attention the beauty in diversity. In 2019, I first came across Fatuma's art at the Women Who Work Gala held by The Embassy of Gabon and Gwen Madiba in Ottawa. Fatuma was showcasing her art in prime space - ri...

Do you feel that you truly belong at work? How about in your social circles? Sarah recounts her personal story and how this led her to building a purpose-driven company, Tribute. Sarah is on a personal mission to make the workplace more human centered, by helping individuals feel a greater sense of belonging and purpose at work. I wanted to bring Sarah on to speak about how we can be creative and...

Sabrina believes that in today's social and political climate, organizations have the potential to be powerful stewards of social change. And her goal is to equip organizations with the tools, knowledge and approach to move along the diversity and inclusion continuum. All of these things combined with Sabrina’s energy make her a powerful force for positive change in the world! You can find Sabrina...

Jennifer Vassel is the author of “I Am Unique!”, a book and empowerment brand about self-love and the importance of sharing your unique gifts with the world. Her goal is to position Erin as the global face of self-love. To encourage and empower young people to own their voice, power, and unique identity. If you are a writer and are even thinking about writing specifically for children, listen to t...

Karina recounts: “From childhood to adolescence to adulthood, everyone wants to feel like they belong somewhere. But sometimes, there is that one thing that makes you feel out of place at times. For me, that was my hearing impairment”. Find the full episode transcription here .  Transcribed by Karina Cotran . Karina has an empowering story about her personal journey of hearing loss and receiv...