Tell me a bit about yourself Gina. What got you into the events space?
Events was always something that I had naturally gravitated towards but didn’t think much of as a career. I loved being part of productions when I was growing up, and when I was at Western University I always found myself organizing these insane house parties or campus fashion shows. My friends and I used to joke that event planning was my unrecognized minor.
After graduation, I became an insurance broker and financial advisor. As the family business, it was this safe, seemingly more lucrative path that my asian immigrant parents encouraged me to follow. The challenge was that I had no drive for it. I’d go into work each day and basically countdown the minutes to 5PM.
The way that I found my way back to event planning (more officially this time) was when my younger brother was in university and looking to transfer to a film program. He wanted to become a director, so he put together an entire powerpoint presentation for my parents with a full plan for how he was going to make it work. Seeing his passion for film was the moment I realized that I needed to make a career change myself. What was the point of spending tens of hours each week doing something I wasn’t proud of?
I ended up leaving my job and starting at an event management program. From there I would volunteer for every single event I possibly could get my hands on. Weddings, corporate events, festivals - Toronto has so much going on so. One day a speaker came in to talk about what it was like being a wedding planner and the next thing I knew, I became her assistant. I loved the way she presented herself, her lifestyle of being able to travel for destination weddings, and how she described the process of bringing a vision to life. Now 7 years later after that internship, I have my own events company that I’m looking to grow.
That’s amazing to hear that you took the plunge. What do you love most about being a professional event planner full-time? I’d imagine It must feel amazing to see events come together after months of planning.
Event day is definitely amazing, but what I absolutely love about my job is trying to get into my clients’ heads to understand what they’re thinking and then translating that vision into something people can experience. With weddings, it’s essential for me to tap into what’s important to the couple so that when their guests show up, they think ‘oh my gosh, that’s so them!’. And with corporate events, I love trying to turn a brand story into a creative concept. There are a million ways to bring an idea to life, and where my creativity thrives is deconstructing ideas and having surprise and delight elements blended into an event.
Beyond the actual design process, I’m also very grateful to have the luxury of being a bit of a nomad of the world. I get to draw inspiration from other cultures and carry them forward to all my events when I travel for destination weddings. Plus, any excuse for new experiences from a new restaurant opening to an outdoor adventure is something I can always chalk up to inspiration for work. I love that part of my job requires me to literally stay up to date with what’s trending.
Are there any of the job that aren’t fun then?
There is a lot of work that leads up to the glitz and glamour of event day. And even when you have plans A through F thought through, things still go wrong. I guess the fact that events involve a lot of troubleshooting is the downside, but at the same time, I honestly find that I thrive off the adrenaline of solving problems. Event planners must all have a masochistic bone in our bodies or something. Not only is being on your feet that long hard on the body, but there is also an emotional and mental toll of managing so many people, with different personalities, goals, and needs. You either have to be able to get into some sort of flow state (or be a crazy person like me) to enjoy that kind of heat-of-the-moment, make-it-or-break-it stress.
The other part that’s challenging about my role is that I find that I’m not just carrying the pressure of my own company’s reputation, but my clients as well. Whether the event is a wedding representing a couple, or a brand launching something new, people’s (guests) compulsion to document everything means that every single aspect of an event needs to look good. And because we’re constantly exposed to new ideas, the bar keeps getting higher. Sometimes it feels like each event needs to out do the next, just for the sake of the ‘gram.
And if that wasn’t enough to suck me into long days, because I own my own business, it makes it especially hard to turn off. Beyond nailing an event, as the sole owner, there are a million little things like updating my website that need to get done. The fact that I never have a finished to-do list can drive me a bit crazy, but I’ve always been a leap first and figure it out kind of person. Starting my own business was exactly that and I’ve just had to trust that things will come together in the way they’re meant to.
After 7 years, have you found that there are certain events that you gravitate to more than others?
I love changing it up so I think that’s why my portfolio is so large. The one that I hold most closely though is Toronto Fashion Week (TFW), in part because it really is the only platform Toronto designers really have to showcase their work!
Unfortunately, the government has yet to recognize fashion as an art so it’s hard to get grants in the same way TIFF does. Beyond designers paying a small fee, and TFW pays for and does everything else like the runways, AV, music, lighting, and event producers. We really try to create an environment and show for each designer that brings to life their vision in a way that they probably wouldn’t be able to do until they reached a certain scale. It’s kind of like using your powers for good, creatives need to support creatives.
I bet with all the events you’ve done there are probably some really crazy stories! Can you share any?
I’ve been very fortunate to have cool clients. There haven’t been any bridezillas or anything like that. Where some craziness does happen though is events with really big budgets. One thing I’ve gotten to plan recently is this far out Christmas party. Because these clients have seen it all and done it all, they really wanted to do something different, which meant having an elegant winter wonderland scene that also somehow incorporated their pet Siamese cat...
The brief ended up including a 14 foot inflatable cat customized to look like their pet, a dance song and show that incorporated cats, and extra special treatment of their pet who was to be brought into the event on the most royal looking cat bed I could find! I guess when it comes to event stories, it’s not really from the people for me, it’s mainly just from sourcing truly weird things.
Any advice for anyone who’s looking to pursue events?
I’d say to just put yourself out there. Events is definitely a relationships business. When I started volunteering in Toronto, it really opened up my eyes to see how simultaneously big and small this industry was - everyone knows each other. Make as many connections as possible and be memorable! At my first few industry events, I had business cards made that said ‘Event Planner in Training’ with my face on them and honestly, that’s what got me in the door!
As for anyone who might be looking for that spark in their job and hasn’t found it, take that leap to find something that does. We spend too many of our waking hours working to be doing something that doesn’t make us happy. Enjoying your career should be non-negotiable. Trust me on that.
Check out snaps of Gina's events on her Instagram profile @ginahumildeevents, including one of the cat themed bash she just recently threw.
]]>
Lateefa, you host a podcast, a radio show, and you volunteer as a video producer all on top of your 9 to 5. How did you find yourself involved in all of these things?
Growing up, I always imagined myself as an investigative journalist on the ground telling people’s stories in various countries abroad like Yemen, Syria, and Egypt - especially if it’s during a time where revolutions are taking place. Then when I was in school, one of my journalism professors started talking about how’d have to be prepared for situations like getting shot at or kidnapped, and I was like, ‘Nope. I am just not built for that kind of life.’
As I explored other avenues I found myself doing an internship at Al Jazeera, a not-for-profit focused on social issues in South America and South Sudan. I loved the way they were telling peoples’ stories as an international news organization. I worked with freelancers who took footage on the ground and helped to produce and edit shorts that captured moments in history better than words could. By giving those without a platform a chance to tell things from their perspective, I realized that it wasn’t about journalism for me, it was about storytelling. No matter what I do, my work has to be for the people, by the people, and that’s my purpose.
I’m involved with a podcast, radio show, and video production as an active choice. It might seem like a lot, but this is my story and journey to becoming a better storyteller. For now, I’m tapped into those three mediums, but I want to try everything, even if it’s just once, to see what it’s like.
For those who don’t know, tell me about the projects you’re working on.
The Two Peas in a Pod podcast is hosted by myself and my best friend from high school, and it’s all about life as a third culture kid. That’s when you’re born in one place, raised elsewhere, and then living in another. For me, that’s Toronto, Qatar, London (England), and then back to Toronto. Every two weeks when we come together, we talk a lot about the culture shocks we’ve experienced and some of the challenges that come with being in your twenties, like getting a raise and the concept of ‘a calling’. A big part of it is just us catching up and giving each other perspective, but we’ve heard from our listeners that a lot of what we’re putting out there is something they can relate to, too.
On alternating weeks, I host a radio show where I DJ and play songs that I’ve found through the week. This means anything from slow jams for cuffing season, to positive, upbeat tunes you can run to. There is a lot more to mixing than meets the eye, but I love learning how to do it and pulling together music in a way that pieces together and reflects my current headspace.
Lastly, I volunteer my time at JAYU, which is a charitable organization that tells human rights stories through the arts. As a video producer, I’ve worked on human rights films like the May exhibition of Am I Wrong To Love - a short highlighting LGBTQ refugees who migrated to Canada. The thing I love about this type of work is not just hearing stories of resilience, but being able to authentically capture raw feelings and thoughts. Personally I feel like the most important thing about being a storyteller is making people comfortable enough to be vulnerable with you. When you find that moment where you do tap into their vulnerability is when you uncover some of the most inspiring moments. Right now, myself and the team are gearing up to show something new we’ve been working on at the upcoming Human Rights Film festival.
I love that you’re in this constant state of creation and sharing. How does it make you feel when you lay it all out like that?
Looking at it this way, it kind of puts me in awe. I work in PR at a start-up during the weekdays so these projects are a lot of extra time and effort, but I’m proud to be part of them. Connection is like a drug, and that’s what drives me to keep creating and sharing the way I do. Everything I put out there is an extension of myself and I know that in the end, this will be my brand, my legacy.
How do you manage it all?
I really try to discipline myself to carve out time every week to do nothing and be still. Self-care Sundays are my thing, I do a facemask, hit the sauna, take a bath, and just unwind. I think when you’re constantly searching for something you hit a wall. Boredom is when creativity strikes so it’s good for me to try to be as bored as possible!
I also journal to keep tabs on how I’m feeling and to unravel after a hectic week. The older I get, the more I’m focused on being centered with myself because if I’m not, I just can’t produce the things I do. What ends up happening is I worry too much and I overthink. I think about how I haven’t done certain things, or what people think, and if people are even watching or listening. It’s scary how quickly it can get out of hand. On the flip side, when I am centered and secure, I turn inwards to ask myself if I like what I’m doing and how it’s making me feel. I truly believe that this self awareness is what breeds authenticity in my content.
What's next on the horizon?
I definitely want to master the skills that I have right now in video and audio, maybe even shoot and produce my own documentary. Outside of my craft, I also want to get more involved in JAYU’s mentorship program. A lot of the things I’ve done are self taught, and so to have been a part of their first filmmaking course for Toronto youth, I was able to give back and show someone else the ropes.
My goal has always been to connect and create impact, but something that I’ve come to learn over time is that it’s not always about trying to impact the world or every single person I meet. It could literally be one person and that would be enough. All it takes one encounter, or one conversation to instil enough confidence in someone to say they can do it too. I think that’s why I love being a content producer and why I want to be an amazing storyteller. There is so much potential to move people and create meaning, but also so much learning and new perspective that come with the territory that ultimately just make me a better person for this world.
Check out Lateefa’s podcast here, her radio show here, and her work with JAYU here.
]]>Tell our readers a bit more about Pressed and how it all got started.
Pressed is a morning newsletter designed to fill you in on world news. It was born out of a personal need four years ago. Back in 2015, it was an election year here in Canada. I wanted to join in on conversations at work, but when I turned to news outlets to learn more, I found that they were often not speaking to me or like me. There was way too much jargon and Canadian politics was rarely covered, with TheSkimm’s coverage of the election starting and ending with ‘the hot guy won up north’.
It seemed like there was a gap in the market for digestible news stories, so to test it, I started writing a few stories a day and sending the best ones to friends about twice a week for feedback. What I ended up learning was that there were so many people who felt guilty or ashamed about not being informed. It turned out I wasn’t the only one struggling to consume news in the right way. It took a few months before I gathered up the courage, but I ended up quitting my marketing job at Rogers to pursue Pressed full time by the end of that year.
What does it look like behind the scenes producing the newsletter?
Behind the scenes of Pressed there are three female leads, including myself. Together, it takes us about 5 hours to make a newsletter. As a lead, I spend time watching and reading news across different platforms to help curate a list of stories. The goal is to find things we think people are going to talk about the next day, with additional emphasis on Canadian news and politics. Then, we choose stories by 4-5 PM each day and assign them to writers who have until 10PM to research and produce their piece. At the end of the day, I pull everything together into the newsletter.
One of the toughest parts of the job is continuing to hone the voice of Pressed. We aim to be conversational, written with the young professional in mind. At first, because it was just me, it was easy to have a single voice, but as we’ve grown I’ve had to relinquish some of that control to make room for others to help evolve it. For example, our writers who are journalism students bring with them an invaluable reporting background, but because they are taught to write in a specific CBC-esque tone, we need to find a balance between telling a hard news story and breaking it down into a short flow. Luckily, three years in, we’re still receiving a ton of positive feedback, with some of our readers telling us that we are their only source of news. I love being able to fill that void for people.
You share news with tens of thousands of people every day. What was it like trying to grow your readership?
Growing pressed has been full of learnings. Our first growth spurt came after I pitched the launch of Pressed to other local blogs in Toronto like Shedoesthecityand Narcity. Our readership grew really quickly during those first few months, but once it wasn’t as new and shiny anymore, momentum slowed.
From there, I did a lot of experimenting, which is a fancy way of saying that I threw a lot of ideas at the wall to see what stuck. My goal was to spend as little money as possible since Pressed was self-funded, so that meant partnerships, influencer campaigns, contests, you name it. When we did end up getting a little bit of seed money, we turned to ads.
The thing about trying to get people to talk more about you is that you eat up a lot of time and money. As a small team, this is a cycle that I couldn’t really afford. As a result, our focus over the past year has really been on sponsorships so that we can grow organically by getting good content out there every day. The next milestone for Pressed is to figure out a model that doesn’t lean solely on sponsorships because in the media landscape they are especially competitive. I’d say if my first year was about self-financing, and the second year was about raising money, this third year is really about figuring out a revenue model.
How was it raising money for Pressed?
As a solo female founder of colour, it was hard. I don’t think it was until I pursued Pressed that I realized how affected I could be as a minority.
On one hand, I want to be treated the same as everyone else. However, because investors often see the world through the lens of a white male, the lack of representation sometimes resulted in a disconnect. It’s eye opening because I know that if I were to pitch to a woman of colour, they’d understand my perspective a lot better. On the other hand, in VCs where diversity is pursued, sometimes I feel like I’m just there filling a quota. It’s on those days that I need to remind myself that these are baby steps in the industry and that I’ll meet them and show them why I deserve to be there. It’s honestly a complicated feeling.
What’s on the horizon for you and Pressed?
In the next year or two, I’d love to find a way to build up other women of colour who are on this same journey of entrepreneurship. My hope is that there can be more people who look like me, or just different, in positions that can understand and help.
In terms of my vision for Pressed, I would love to make it more regional. There are very few media companies doing something similar with accessibility, and even fewer do it through the lens of where people live, something that heavily impacts the way you see the world. Today, algorithms feed you the news you like, so I’d love to continue to leverage technology so that we can get news to our readers that they wouldn’t normally see. I’m excited to see how far my team and I can take Pressed for our readers.
Stay informed with what’s going on around the world and sign up for your daily dose of Pressed News here. Or if you prefer consuming content on the ‘gram, follow @pressed_news. Jacqueline’s got you covered.
]]>What are you up to right now, Renee?
At this very moment, I’m grabbing a quick bite and coffee between meetings. I just caught up with a PR for a luxe beauty brand at Soho House, and later tonight I’m heading to a dinner hosted by La Prairie on behalf of The Kit Chinese Edition. It’s all a bit hectic, but I guess that’s the thing about being a freelancer. There are times when I'm sitting at a desk brainstorming and writing stories, but then there are times when I'm out and about attending press events, desk sides, and meetings.
How did you get into freelancing in the fashion industry?
I’ve always loved fashion, but I didn't think it was going to be a part of my career. Then around the time I was graduating university, blogging and social media really started taking off. The tides were definitely changing in the fashion industry. With digital content creators on the scene, there were different players in the game, so I wanted to learn what I could through internships to see how roles might change and open up. I ended up landing internships for publications like Fashion Magazine and Elle Canada, as well as the social media team at Hudson's Bay.
Through it all, I found that I love cultivating a voice and a digital presence. Nothing is as gratifying to me as putting a piece out there with my name in the byline and having friends and family tell me they read something I wrote and loved it. I guess that’s how I ended up freelance writing--my internships in the fashion world led me here.
What’s it like being on your own?
Being my own boss and freelancing in this industry means my life is simultaneously very scheduled and unscheduled. It really depends on the way events land in the calendar, which can be on any day, at any time, but it’s also about pacing and listening to my body. I know that I can only sprint for so long and the lifestyle I’ve chosen is full of the unexpected.
When I first started, I was envious of my friends with the stable office jobs, but now I love the energy and the fact that anything can happen. It’s changed the way I view the future. I have the utmost optimism for what’s next and around the corner every day--after all, who would’ve thought five years ago that influencers and digital content creators would be where they are today.
Of course, being on my own can also be lonely at times. There are moments when I wish I could be with a team to bounce ideas off of so that I don’t have to second guess whether the idea I have for a story is fresh or if it’s been done before. I know the grass is always greener on the other side though. Even though my job is incredibly different than the average 9 to 5, the highs that come with it are things I would never trade.
Can you give me some examples of some of the highs and lows?
Getting to travel and meeting incredible and inspirational founders behind brands I love--these opportunities are a privilege and I try to never forget that whenever I’m getting enveloped by it all. But I love being able to go behind the scenes and share their beautiful stories with the world.
On the flip side, my brain never turns off. I’m always consuming content and the second a word or an idea comes to mind, even if it’s the middle of the night, I get up to write it down. I take every single spark and really try to work it because you never really know where that next angle could come from for a story.
Tell me a bit more about being part of the fashion/ magazine industry.
Like any industry in this world, teams in media have started to shrink, which creates an interesting dynamic for freelancers and digital content creators who have entered the field. There is an ongoing debate around whether or not you need both editors and content creators in the space. Before, only a few key individuals in the editorial world had access to events and fashion shows, but now, there are hundreds and thousands of content creators that do too. Personally, I think both roles are amazing and crucial. Our niches will continue to get defined because people want to experience and see these stories from different vantage points.
As a content creator, it’s all about capturing the moment. There’s a lot of planning that goes into bringing a following along, and it truly is a never-ending cycle of sharing and storytelling via images and captions. However, as an editor, you spend time going deep. You search for an angle, you comb through data and facts to figure out what the long feature story will be. Both sides add a lot of richness and depth to the industry and I don’t think one should really exist without the other.
What are you most proud of?
My interview with Eva Chen. I got in touch with her and her publisher while she was promoting her debut children's book, Juno Valentine, and it had just hit the New York Times Best Seller list. I had been idolizing her since her time at Teen Vogue and following her Tumblr account for years, so it was crazy to me her publisher actually responded to a cold-email I sent out on a whim. When we met, I could tell she was juggling a million and one things (she is the Director of Fashion at Instagram, a mother of two young children, an author and has a cool 1.2 million followers on her Insta), but that didn’t stop her from being incredibly gracious with me during our short time together.
It was actually her words of wisdom that helped me find solace during a difficult time, as we all experience navigating our 20s. She told me that in the years she turned 30 (and afterwards), she had some of the best years of her life. Her take was that your 20s are harder than your teens because people expect you to have your shit together when you’re still just trying to figure it out, but your 30s are when you come into yourself. You stop doing things for other people and you just do what’s right for you.
Elaine Lui, a Chinese-Canadian television personality behind the infamous website laineygossip.com, was another favourite person to interview. She went through this whole transformation early in her life when she lived in Hong Kong for a few months with her mom and saw what it was like to be in an environment where the entertainment industry represented her. She told me she didn’t have to be the blonde cheerleader that she thought she needed to be after years of watching North American TV shows and films. I think being able to interview these Asian-American women who break the mold in terms of representation is a big reason I love working with The Kit Chinese Edition - it brings together both my culture and my passion.
What advice do you have for people starting out?
Don’t be afraid to cold-email people. Meeting people, talking to them and hearing how they got to where they are is the best inspiration in the world. The worst thing that can happen is they say no, and that's okay. Start writing and creating on whatever creative medium you like. Put yourself out there because you never know. Go after it with all the energy in the world because the industry will you give you back what you put in.
]]>Tell me about about how you became a full time artist.
I always knew I wanted to be an artist. A lot of people start off doing art really young and they think it’s for them, but the difference is that some people stop and I just kept going. I started to go to comic book conventions when I was 15, and I would go up to famous writers or artists and just ask for feedback about my work. Fast forward over 10 years, I still see them at conventions, and I still ask, but now I’m friends with them! I think that’s the main reason I’ve been able to stay in art. Growing up I was so involved in the community and I knew so many successful artists that it always just seemed like a viable career choice.
Right out of school after my degree in Fine Arts, I was fortunate to be able to find work at an agency that billed me out as a corporate illustrator on projects. Now I freelance within the same space. A lot of people don’t know about corporate illustration, but it’s a huge and growing market and incredibly lucrative. Things like concept illustration have always existed, but more and more companies are looking to emotive storyboards in place of stock imagery and creating openings for roles like live illustrators.
Why corporate illustration?
Corporate illustration isn’t actually my end goal, but it has given me the space to figure out and work on my real passion - comic book art. I’ve seen a lot of artists dive head first into building their own brand as an artist and it was hard for many to go without a stable income. I’m one of the few amongst my graduating class who are still practising and I want to learn from them and take the time to wade in - really build a network and nest egg before transitioning to spend more time in publishing. Of course, sometimes I wish I could move faster. I was way too scared to jump into freelancing and I know that now that there are moments where I just need to take the leap and trust that I’ll find the ground.
How have things changed going freelance?
I love being able to choose the people and projects I work on. Assignments that I tend to be most proud of when I’m finished are in the health space. They make me feel like my work is actually going to make a difference by helping executives empathize with patients through art. It’s empowering to know that my art can inform decisions like that.
I’ve also found that being a freelancer, people have more respect for my time. Sometimes creative teams can get stuck in ruts within an agency. As a creative you are constantly creating but not always offered a seat at the table. When I’m brought on as a company’s prime illustrator now, they acknowledge me as a leader and look to me for my perspective.
One thing I have to say that I haven’t loved is how my home is now also my studio. Having my desk with four screens about one foot from my bed can make it hard to create boundaries. To help counter that, I’ve made designated work breaks to go for a walk, to be social, and I pack all of my things up each day as a signal that the day has ended. Next up is a designated studio space for sure.
What would you say your style of illustration is?
I’m a bit of a different artist when it comes to this question. Conventional wisdom says to get really good at one distinct look, but I never really wanted to constrain myself. Having a wide range of styles has made me more versatile and given me the opportunity to work on all types of projects. If I have a health client, I’ll use one line drawings, water colour, things that can convey a lot of emotion. If my client is more tech oriented, I’ll create clean crisp lines to tell a more straightforward story.
My favourite is creating sequentials - that’s what you see in comic books. I still remember the first time I picked one up. I was immediately absorbed - I loved to read, I already loved art, it was everything in one place. I didn’t have the easiest childhood so I really related to a lot of the misfits like Spiderman, Batman and X-men. They were lonely, they strove forward, and I think that’s a big reason these characters are so popular, their stories are so relatable in their own ways. I remember thinking, ‘This is me now, but this, all of this, is also my future.’
What does it mean for you knowing your passion is also your work?
I remember there was a girl I knew who dropped out of school. She stood up midway through a class, packed up all her things, and said to everyone ‘Art is my passion, not my career.’ Personally, I’ve never really viewed them as mutually exclusive things. If you want to turn art into a career, it’s possible, but you have to be willing to do it as two things and create space for your work and your hobby.
The art that I do when I finish work is different. I’m not drawing screens and corporate storyboards, I’m drawing robots and monsters and superheroes. I’m drawing what I want and telling the stories I want to tell. Personally, I need the time for this kind of creativity, to just doodle what’s happening in my head. Sometimes it’s my best stuff and it ends up being a source of inspiration, sometimes it’s my work that sparks it all.
Yes, having distinction in the type of art I do during work and after hours helps. Maybe when I transition to comic book illustrations full time that will change. That being said, I’ve been working on a children's book about my beloved dog who passed a few years ago, and even though it’s work, it’s hugely a passion project. That’s a luxury that not all jobs can provide. I’m able to have passion projects that feel like work, and work that feels like a passion project. I’m grateful that I get to call illustration my career.
Any advice for young artists?
My advice is that it’s okay to go slow, but it’s not okay to stop. Some people stop doing art for months, but my take is that you need to just sit down and draw something until it’s just not shitty anymore. You can’t be scared away. Even if you can only do a little bit each day, it’s better than nothing. Like anything that comes with practise, when you are drawing, the more you create, the better you get. And the more you work on being creative, the more creative you will be.
Keep biting off more, keep doing art, keep creating what you love, and keep doodling. But do it with structure and with intention, because without it is where people give up on themselves the fastest.
Check out Jen’s work here. And look out for her at the next Comic Book Convention in Toronto - she'll have a colourful booth selling her art, or you can catch her walking around with her portfolio in hand.
]]>Steph Kaptein is a baker who's recently turned her hobby into a full blown business called @ampersandbakehouse. See below for some real talk on what running a bake shop is like and the brand she's trying to create.
Tell me about yourself.
I have a long history within the food industry. When I was young, I lived on a commercial farm and all of my cousins came from the same farming community. Whether it was dairy cows or broiler chickens, I grew up knowing where food comes from. As I got older, I found that food continued to be a part of my career - just in a slightly different way. My last position was as a Foresight Strategist consulting with companies like McCain Foods and Campbell’s.
At one point, I just got sick of talking about food, and wanted to be more hands on. That’s how Ampersand Bakehouse started.
Tell me about Ampersand Bakehouse and the brand you created.
I started baking for fun as a creative outlet. I was obsessed with buttercream flowers and took over our entire apartment kitchen with piping bags and tips. I would bake for every occasion and would often bring treats to the office. Once I started selling at local markets, I needed to legally move my baking to a commercial kitchen. I would find myself finishing my day job, commuting to the kitchen across town, and then baking until 1 AM into the night. I was at this tipping point where I had to make a choice, so I founded Ampersand Bakehouse.
In terms of the brand, I really wanted to do something floral at first. Once I realized that there are literally hundreds of floral-themed bakeries, I really started thinking about preconceived notions of baked goods and who they should be for. That’s when I decided that I wanted my brand to be more androgynous with a contemporary aesthetic. I also wanted to cater to adults (as opposed to children) with infusions of alcohol and espresso.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about passing the ‘so cute’ test when it comes to the product appearance, but at the end of the day, it needs to taste good. The buttercream icing can’t be too sweet and there needs to be flavour complexity. There’s a dichotomy, and that’s where the ampersand symbol comes in.
How do you come up with your recipes and signature products?
A lot of experimenting and researching different recipes. After reading numerous baking blogs, I began to pick up on different tricks, like adding an egg yolk to make my chocolate chip cookies extra chewy. Often I take two or three recipes for the same product and combine my favourite aspects of each to make my own.
Other times, it’s a complete mistake! For example, I tried this baked donut recipe and the tops of my donuts didn't round out like the bottoms. I was super disappointed that I had these flat sided donuts until I realized I could sandwich two of them together with buttercream icing. Now these donut sandwiches are my signature product that draw people in at markets.
What might people not know about being a baker?
I heard this radio commercial where a baker said it was so fast to get a small business loan that they had all this extra time to organize sprinkles. All I could think was, “Girl, you wouldn’t be organizing sprinkles. You’d be washing dishes! Use that loan and get a dishwasher!” Honestly, I spend most of my day washing dishes. Even when I buy equipment to be more efficient, I end up trying to wash a 20-quart mixer bowl I can practically swim in.
Food startups also have their own set of unique challenges. In the city of Toronto, you legally need to work out of a health inspected kitchen which drastically increases your operating costs compared to working from home. You are also working with a perishable product so ingredient management and product shelf life is an ongoing battle. I think a lot of people romanticize the life of a baker. While I absolute love baking and decorating, it’s mostly dishes and paperwork.
How has baking as an activity changed for you now that it's what you do full time?
It really has changed the relationship I have with baking. Before it was used as a stress release from my full time job, and now it is the stress of my full time job. When you follow your passion, there is always a risk of turning it into something you hate. However, the business side of baking can also be invigorating. I love seeing my brand come to life and thinking about how it will evolve in the future.
I also think about the process of baking in a much more strategic way. Based on upcoming markets and client orders, each day has a different task list. Each task needs to be organized to make efficient use of my limited time. For example, caramel needs to cool from its hot liquid form before it can be added to buttercream so I try to make that first. Baked goods need to cool before they can be decorated so I’ll make donuts one day, and then ice and sandwich them the next. There’s lots of juggling, but I love when I can get into a zone and rhythm.
What’s your absolute favourite thing about going full-time as a baker?
I love seeing the final product whether it’s packaging a client order in bakery boxes or filling my display case at a local market. It’s so satisfying to see my hard work in such a tangible way. Desserts are food, but they’re also art. I used to paint in college, but only had so much wall space for the finished product. With baked goods, it’s edible art. You have the joy of creation and when it’s eaten, you have the opportunity to make more.
It’s also incredible seeing people light up when they see my display case filled with bright coloured donut sandwiches. There is this uncontrollable impulse for passerbyers to exclaim ‘so cute’ which makes my heart smile. At the end of the day, a donut should just add joy.
What's next for you?
I’d love to open a standalone storefront. I have a vision for Ampersand that’s hard to fully bring to life through temporary markets and popups. I want to expand the brand to include apparel and enamel pins, but also partyware like bright coloured acrylic cake stands and cake toppers. Ampersand Bakehouse needs a home, even a little hole in the wall.
You can catch Steph all over the city at different pop up markets. Follow her on Instagram @ampersandbakehouse to stay in the loop, and be sure to try her signature donut sandwiches. And don’t worry, if you’re a fall-loving, pumpkin spice person, that’s on the menu too.
]]>How would you describe what you do?
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the skills that are actually involved in what I do, and when it comes down to it, whether as a comedian, as a brand strategist, or as a friend, my role tends to involve offering perspectives informed by human truths - connections between things that are true for people that they might not have thought of before.
What do you think makes you successful in these roles?
In both roles, my goal is always to be a total genius and dumb at the same time.
Stand up is so great for that because no matter how smart you think your joke is, if you can’t say it in a way that’s instantly relatable, you’ve failed.
Tell me a bit about how you got started in the stand-up world.
My good friend Zoe Brownstone is a comic who started before me and I would go to her shows. I thought it was cool, so I decided to do a course called Comedy Girl. Dawn Whitwell started the program at Comedy Bar and it’s a really chill course for anyone who wants to learn about joke structure and writing with no bullshit.
You quickly realize that everyone thinks they’re funnier than they are. Not everyone can recreate something funny on stage.
So, what is a joke? What did you learn?
Lol good question. I think jokes are just ideas (that make people laugh).
The crazy thing is that so much goes into making something funny. There are rules and patterns that you can learn and take advantage of to get to better jokes, just like there are to get to better ideas. You go in there with a hypothesis, thinking ‘I think it will be funny if I say ____’, but you don’t actually really know. The methodology lies in iteration. You tell a joke 50 times and keep optimizing.
The other thing is, you can’t fake your way into making people laugh. Whatever the audience thinks and feels will be obvious. Like you can riff and be silly but your material has to deliver. You have to be in the moment, be present, and work with the crowd when you get up there on stage.
The way that you’re talking about jokes, it sounds like it’s almost formulaic.
Writing jokes is definitely iterative. And you definitely have to be process-oriented to love writing jokes. You can’t be precious about your writing and think “this one idea you had once is perfect as is, and if the audience doesn't laugh it’s something wrong with them.”
When you’re up there, you’re basically codifying and playing off of human reactions and brain processes. For my style of jokes at least, I try to pay attention to social dynamics and feelings that other people don’t perceive. You have to sort of love being an outsider to have the patience to do that, which is a catch 22 because as comics we want to be accepted by everyone extra badly.
So with that much iteration, how do you keep it fresh? Tell me about what it looks like preparing a routine.
Seek new angles on your ideas. When you find one that works it’s a big thrill and kind of keeps you going. When it fails, abuse drugs and alcohol!
Behind the scenes, comedy is all-consuming. I perform several nights a week, and when I’m not performing, I’m working on stuff, listening to past shows I've recorded. I’ll even be brushing my teeth and writing on sticky notes - my apartment looks like a (really innocent) conspiracy theorist lives there because there are notes on the wall that just say like, “toes that look like fingers”, “why is David Blayne hot?”, “granddaddy issues.”
Would you ever want to go full time? Or is comedy more of a hobby?
This is a brutal question. I honestly don’t know. I don’t think of comedy as a hobby. But I also avoid becoming too careerist about it because I think doing something for its own sake is where real creativity comes from. I guess it’s a passion. And passions are just good for human existence.
One thing I’ve come to terms with is the fact that I don’t need to rationalize how my role as a brand strategist and my role as a stand up comedian will come together. Yes, the skill sets might reinforce each other, but the career paths, they may never merge. And that’s okay.
What keeps you sticking around for more?
I think the purity of it is what makes me stick with it. You have an idea, craft it, give it to the audience, and see. Comedy is addictively redemptive because each performance has simultaneously high and low stakes this way. There’s no team, no approvers, no client, no objective other than to elicit a reaction.
It’s also very humbling. Standup requires you to finely tune your bullshit detector on yourself. I think this is why some people joke that performing standup is like going to therapy. It’s not, and those people are sick. But it is similar in the sense that listening to yourself talk about your feelings in front of someone trains you to notice when you’re being full of shit.
What's next for you? Any goals you’ve set up for your stand up?
There’s been so much change for me lately. It’s my Saturn return right now, I just started at a new agency, moved into a new place. I just really want to settle into everything that’s been on the go and be the best and most grounded I can be.
Part of that means writing new material that brings to life the neurotic, yet wise, genius/dumb persona I’ve been trying to bring to the forefront. It’s hard to be fully uninhibited on stage, or in the workplace, and let your true self show up, but we simply mustn't tiptoe around our truths. Life’s too short.
Catch Fanny on stage every Sunday night at The Corner Comedy Club East in Leslieville for the show she co-hosts, Sunday Best. Tickets here.
]]>What started as a personal instagram account has now blossomed to over 40K followers for travel blogger best known by her handle @jessomewhere. See below for more on how she does it, and how she keeps herself from falling into the dark side of being an influencer.
Tell me a little bit about your world. How did you become @jessomewhere?
It really all started pretty organically. I was travelling and taking photos, sharing them on Instagram mostly just for my friends and family to keep up with where my husband and I were going. In 2016 after our honeymoon, my photos really started to see traction and that’s when I thought it’d be a good opportunity to take it more seriously.
In 2017, I created the blog and there was a real mindset change. I turned my personal account into a business account and rather than posting for fun, I found myself thinking about hashtags and strategies to get my photos more exposure. I wanted to see what I could make it.
As a pharmacist, I have a flexible schedule that affords me the time to play around with being a travel blogger. Plus, because it’s not the most creative job, blogging has become my creative outlet that allows me to use a totally different side of my brain. I’m lucky that I can leave work at work, and so on my free time this is truly a hobby.
What inspires you with your photography? I love the way your photos are taken, it really captures the beauty of your surroundings.
My photos really reflect what I’m inspired by at the moment. Lately it’s been the outdoors as I’ve been getting more into hiking. When I look back on my past travels it was definitely more about capturing the vibe of a city. What’s great about the blog being more of a hobby is that I can really let my personal interests dictate where I want to go.
There’s obviously a lot of planning that’s involved getting the shots you have. How has your blog changed how you approach travel? Have you ever considered going full time as a travel blogger?
All of last year I played around with the idea of taking a year off to travel full time and do the Instagram thing. But now, I don’t think that’s going to happen, and I’m okay with that. I think I just liked the idea of being nomadic but the lifestyle just isn’t for me. Having a home as a base is important.
As for how it’s changed how I travel, well for one, it involves a lot of waking up really early. I’m not as intense as some of the folks I know (I’m not a morning person), but they’ve been known to start hikes at 2AM just so they can be there for sunrise! That being said, I do plan my itinerary around sunrise and sunset because it’s really all about having the right lighting.
The other way it’s changed things is the need to find balance. There’s a dark side to social media, people will go to destinations just to take a shot, they trespass, and don’t even take the time to enjoy where they are at, ruining the place or space. In the past, I’ve found myself obsessed with getting the perfect shot. I’ll labour over it and won’t leave, getting frustrated just wanting people to move. When I get like that, I’ve had to really learn to ground myself and remind myself why I started all of this, which was to travel and see more of the world.
So what happens after you’ve got the perfect or almost-perfect shot? Take us behind the scenes and tell us about how your time is spent.
I spend about 20% of my time on the shoots and editing, 20% on writing the blog, and 60% on Instagram engaging followers to get my profile and photos seen. When I was at the peak of my Instagram days, it would take up all my free time to the point where I was on Instagram for at least 4 hours a day. It was all consuming and this was scary. It became too much.
After that, I took a step back. I needed to talk to people and just spend more time being present, less time on my screen. It was definitely a challenge finding a balance between wanting to be successful while not being completely absorbed by it.
The part that I enjoy the most though is editing. I’ve always loved digital art and how subjective your eye can be and how it all evolves over time. When I travel with other bloggers, we can take the same photo but it can come out looking totally different based on how it’s edited. Even when I look back at my own feed, I can see how I’m changing and that’s what keeps all of this so fascinating.
So then, what’s next for you? Do you want to keep growing your Instagram presence?
When I think about what I’m going to be doing the next few years, I definitely want to focus more on the blog.
Writing, while painful at the start, is so incredibly satisfying. Instagram could disappear tomorrow, but my website and blog is mine. It’s hard to find my voice sometimes but ultimately I want to get better at saying what I want to say and sharing my travels with everyone because I’ve been so lucky to see so much of the world.
The next trip we’re doing is to Patagonia, so stay tuned for the blog post! I’m so excited!
Follow Jessica Lu on Instagram @jessomewhere. If you’re coveting her vacations, you can find out more about her trips on her blog https://jessomewhere.com/
]]>ASOM is a Canadian independently owned small business. Designed for creators, by creators - we make purposeful products for work-from-home.
Somewhere between restlessness and relaxation is your most creative state of mind, and our Wearable Duvets were born to help fuel this exact feeling. Hand quilted, luxe fabrics, and just slightly weighted to keep your eye on the prize. Whether it’s a passion project or an empire, this state of mind is where things are born, and that’s something we'll always get behind.
When it comes to our products, we partner with manufacturers who commit to exceptional craftsmanship with the best materials, sustainable practices, and ethical employment. ASOM is a passion project and we do things right.
We produce collections in small batches to ensure excellence because we believe firmly in quality over quantity. Timeless designs always come out on top and your capsule wardrobe will thank us.
We default to open. Want to know what goes into high quality, artisan made robes? We're happy to share. Below are the costs behind every aspect of our production process to get our wearable duvets from our hands into yours.
]]>