Drown The Noise

What's a growth hacker, anyways? Unless you are familiar with the tech lingo, you may not know what a growth hacker is, little own what they do for a living. This isn't your typical marketing job. Growth hackers are basically creative, data driven individuals, who love looking at the numbers in order to see where and how a company can improve. They think fast and fail fast. And Sarah is one of these experts. She didn't ever think she'd end up in this line of work. She actually turned down a high paying corporate PR job at the start of her career, and took a chance working at a startup. Keep in mind, this was at the beginning of the startup craze - over ten years ago. So her choice wasn't the "cool" one. People thought she was nuts. But she loved the idea of being able to test out ideas with minimal supervision. In this episode we discuss everything from taking chances, failing fast, learning how to read data and understand its meaning, growth hacking tips and tricks, taking an unconventional path and how to s

Samantha Skelly didn't always have a great relationship with food or her body, for that matter. For years she struggled in silence. Hiding her binge eating from friends and family, and masking it with over-exercising and fitness. It was only after a life situation forced her to leave England and move back home to Canada, that she really started to face her own demons. Years of hard work, getting to know herself again, peeling away deep problems and facing them head on, has led her to where she is now. She's strong, focused and driven more than ever to flip the weight loss industry on it's head, and help women take back their power, while gaining a positive relationship with food and their bodies. She didn't set out with this mission and we find out how she's been building her mini-empire in this episode. First lesson -food is not the enemy here, folks.  Through one-on-one coaching, events, her own podcast, a book and speaking engagements, Sam is spreading the message loud and clear. Love yourself first.

It's so easy to take our health and body for granted. Many of us go through life rarely having to fight any type of ailment, except for the common cold or flu. So when we do get sick, or get diagnosed with something, it can easily come as a huge shock. For wellness expert, gluten free chef and author of The Wellness Project, Phoebe Lapine, finding out that she had a thyroid disease sent her spiraling into a state of denial. Even though she was working in the food and wellness industry and training others to put healthy foods in their bodies, she was being given conflicting view points of how to treat her condition and just thought that if she didn't deal with it, then it 'may' just go away. She'll be the first to tell you she was wrong. And when things went from bad to worse, she knew she needed to take action. From what started as a project of documenting her health experimentations over the course of a year on her popular blog, Feed Me Phoebe, it has now turned into a second book. We talk about natural way

Leadership coach, Karlyn Percil, has always been on the track of motivating people and helping others live their best lives. But she wasn't always living hers. It wasn't until a chance opportunity forced her to confront her own internal demons, that she really started to analyze how she was showing up in the world. One question she often asks is are you living authentically. If someone asked you today if you were doing what you love and living your best life, what would your answer be? And for Karlyn, she had hit her own ceiling within the corporate world. It was no longer fulfilling her highest purpose, and she knew she needed to make a big change. But like many of us, she wasn't exactly sure what that looked like, and stepping away from a full time job was a scary thing. But, even though she didn't have a clear direction, she up and quit her job, took some coaching courses and found what she had loved all along - teaching and coaching others to re-program their brain and focus on things that will help them

Have you ever been bored of your life? Like you know there's something bigger and better that you're meant to do? Everything in your life just feels comfortable... Well, Matt Dajer and his friends were all experiencing those exact feelings. So, to spice things up, they decided to start a 30 day project. Do something unique and different for 30 days and film it! They shared their project on YouTube and the response was phenomenal. Not to mention, they were all hooked on the challenge and wanted to keep living their lives by pushing past their comfort zones. They quickly realized that the only way to grow is to seek discomfort. From that 30 day project, they morphed it into a successful YouTube Channel, known as Yes Theory. They turned their passions into careers and get to collaborate and work with amazing people all over the world - not to mention, they are all best friends! Each day is different. Each experience unique. And the journey, fulfilling. Hear how they built up their following; how they find guests

Is that feeling of overwhelm creeping up on you again? Not sure how you're going to be able to get all that stuff done on your to-do list? Well, author, women and girls advocate and leadership expert, Tiffany Dufu, has a lesson for us to learn. It's time that we drop the ball in our lives, so we can actually do more by doing less. Tiffany has always been an overachiever. She's a woman who kept rising up the corporate ladder, pushing the envelope and her own limits further than most of us would even think possible. Until one day - after returning from maternity leave - that her idea of the "perfect wife, mother, daughter, life, etc" came crashing down around her. It was a turning point, where she finally realized she may not be able to "do it all"...but what did that mean, anyways? In this episode, Tiffany and I discuss the ideas of perfection; how the world won't crash down around us if we can't get everything done by a certain time; why it's key that we learn to delegate; the importance of reframing ideas, a

Perry Grone has known what he was meant to do for years now! He uncovered his passion for filmmaking, before most of us even knew what hobbies were! When he was a teenager, his friends and him would make their own 'Jackass' inspired videos, and through experimentation, he learned video editing, storytelling, special effects and directing. It was almost as if he was destined for this type of career. Fast forward twelve or so years and he's well on his way to making a name for himself. He's built up incredible relationships with travel brands, NGO's, famous YouTubers and companies like Snapchat and Red Bull. A lot of his success has to do with his talent for the craft; but he also explains that you have to hustle and work hard for everything that you want in life. Through years of dedication, risk taking and an understanding that you often have to say "yes" to an opportunity before you're ready; Perry's been able to carve out a career that he's not only proud of, but it's one that he loves.

Have you ever gone on vacation, only to return with way too many selfies and blurry photos? Well, that almost happened to the founder of Flytographer, Nicole Smith. She was a few days into her trip with her best friend in Paris, when they both realized that their photos weren't properly depicting the great time they were having. Instead of taking more selfies, and settling for horrible images, they asked a friend to come along for the day to take some candid shots. That's when it hit her. This was a time when experiences and photographic memories were so important. Why wasn't there a travel company offering this type of service? Once home, she researched the topic and realized there was a hole in the market. So she started small, by offering photography sessions as gifts for friends that were on vacation, in order to test out her idea. And the rest is history. Take a listen to see how Nicole bootstrapped her vision, while raising little kids and turned her dream into a reality. It wasn't easy; but her story p

It's hard to understand why you can feeling so unhappy, when on paper, it looks like you have it all going for you. A successful career by 25 that many people work years to create. A long term relationship. Living in one of the most coveted cities in the world. But for some reason, you still feel empty. That's how Lauren Biegler felt, before her life took a complete 180. She was always an overachiever and she enjoyed her job- let's set that straight. But it wasn't fulfilling anymore. So instead of continuing on that path, she left the cushy life and set out to live the nomadic startup experience with a company she's now a co-founder of, called We Journey. We Journey creates impactful travel experiences for international and domestic destinations. Their projects range from building homes and skate parks, to renovating schools and working with women's collectives. It's about adventure. Doing good. And giving back. Lauren and I cover a lot of topics; but there's a strong focus around finding purposeful work. How

Ann Shoket had a dream career that many women only dream of. She worked her way up in the publishing world to become the Editor-in-Chief of Seventeen Magazine from 2007-2014. In a lot of way, it probably seemed like she had it all and was already living the big life. But what does that mean? How do you find work-life balance and or does that even exist? Can you really have a dream job, do what you want, have a fulfilling relationship and love yourself at the same time? These are questions that Ann sought answers to and part of the reason why she started her Badass Babes Dinners. For months she's been hosting dinners at her NYC apartment with around 6 millennial women at a time (from all walks of life), where they eat frozen pizza and drink a lot of rose. These women network, commiserate, discuss their life musings and all their struggles. From that, she wrote her first book titled The Big Life, that is designed to serve as a guide for millennial women to help them navigate the unchartered waters of our curren

Do you ever find that some people have a smile that is so contagious, it makes you smile? That's how I felt when I came across Cassie Day on Instagram.  A bunch of people I knew were connected to Cassie, and immediately I felt like I needed to know more about her. She's a personal trainer, holistic nutritionist, and corporate wellness expert. This hasn't always been her reality. Although she played competitive hockey for over 13 years, she didn't always work in fitness. Before this path, she worked for a large brand in digital marketing. And although she'll be the first to tell you that she liked her job, she knew deep down that it wasn't where she was meant to be. Only after going through an unthinkable family tragedy and her own personal slump, did she decide to go after her own dreams. And in just over a year, she's launched her own personal fitness brand, connected with big companies to provide wellness training, held weekly bootcamps and offered wellness retreats with a friend in exotic locations. To say

It's funny how your life can change in a instant. Charles 'Chaz' Hutton, also known as Insta Chaz, was working as an architect when he started uploading his stick drawings to Instagram. He didn't really think anything of it. Just that his friends liked his cartoons. All of his drawings cleverly depict his own life musings. He originally was drawing for his friends amusement, which he would post in a chat group while bored at work - it was never meant to be a launching pad for a new career.  Within months, he had gained a massive cult-like following. Something he never thought was possible, growing up on a farm. But the internet is a powerful tool. At the time, he had moved from Australia to England and decided to give the whole cartoonist life a go. Publishers approached him for a book deal, and he's now a published author. He didn't even think books still existed (joking). What's awesome about Chaz, is he doesn't sugarcoat how difficult being a freelancer is; but he's also figured out how to make this whole

I love coming across stories of people who are giving back to their communities. And that's exactly what a group of friends in Melbourne are doing with their unique social enterprise known as HoMie. The idea for the not-for-profit actually arose based on one of the Co-founders sheer curiosity in wanting to know the stories of those he saw on the streets. From there, Marcus and Nick started a Facebook page called Homelessness in Melbourne and began sharing pictures and stories of those they would meet. The following grew online and they knew they were onto something. Armed with a new awareness of the issue and wanting to help change others perception of homelessness, the friends launched a Street Store where people could donate gently used clothes and good, with the idea that the homeless community could come and select what they wanted. Through partnerships, an online store and now a brick and mortar store, the Co-founders have been able to provide job training, VIP shopping experiences once a month and other

Sometimes 24 hours in a day is just not enough time to get everything done. And after a full days work, and other commitments, the last thing you probably feel like doing is hitting up a busy grocery store for food. That's exactly how Julian Gleizer - founder of Instabuggy- felt after working 12-15 hr days while building his business. He felt he could create a better and more efficient experience for shoppers and so he launched a 1hr delivery service. All customers have to do, is type in their postal code, and up pops a list of places to buy from. Starting Instabuggy isn't Julian's first pass at creating and launching a business. It's in his blood, as he says. Growing up with a father who ran his own business, he learned the entrepreneurial ropes fairly early on in life. He already publicly sold one company- DealTicker- before starting Instabuggy, and hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. For him, this business is all about customer convenience, speed and value and getting into the online grocery market ear

Leaving a cushy paying job that you like and jumping into the unknown, is probably one of the hardest things to do. No longer do you have stability or a paycheque. It's all up to you to succeed. There were times at the beginning that Danielle would hide her side hustle from the world. Packing the gum boots and shipping them to customers in the evening or on her lunch break, while still working her 9-5 job. She wasn't a hundred percent sure what was going to come of Merry People; but she knew she loved doing it. And she recognized there was a hole in the market. Instead of shying away from what she didn't know about entrepreneurship and business, she found people around her to mentor and guide her. And played to her strengths. Like many other entrepreneurs, ignorance can be bliss - it's often what allows a person to make the mistakes and try different things, because they don't know what the downfall will be. She knew she wanted more fashionable rain gear and gum boots, so instead of waiting for someone else t

Imagine feeling like you just didn't belong or that your stories weren't being heard? You'd almost feel invisible and ultimately, that would leave you with a sense of disconnect to your community. For Gracia Dyer Jalea and her six co-founders, they wanted the Toronto Ward Museum to accurately share stories of immigrants who moved to Toronto and helped build the multi-cultural landscape that exists today. Having come from immigrant backgrounds, they understand the challenges and disconnect all too well. While Toronto only accounts for 8% of Canada's total population, it is home to 36% of all immigrants living in Ontario and 20% of all immigrants living in Canada. It is their hope, that the 'museum without walls' serves as a bridge to strengthen our understanding of immigration history, through innovation and public engagement.  Not only are they shedding light on so many untold stories; but they are opening up the conversation by having immigrants co-develop and co-deliver a lot of the museums programming! Tak

Make sure you have dreams that are bigger than yourself. Live passionately and chase after them with everything you have. Those are just some of the beliefs that Cam Greenwood expressed in this epic interview. As the founder of one of the fastest growing surf brands in the world, he lives his life with no limits and is constantly trying to push himself past what he thinks is possible. At only 18, he quit school to pursue his 'hobby' full time, of designing and building surf boards. With a big dream, and a desire to give back, he created Monsta Surf . The brand can now be found in over 40 countries and counting. His story just goes to show what is possible when you keep persevering. There were even a few times that he thought he might have to pack it all in, because things weren't going as planned. But with the support of friends and family, and a vision that was bigger than himself, the Monsta brand survived and is now thriving. It's Cam's mission to grow the tribe around the world, creating a lasting movemen

Ever thought of packing it all in and starting a completely different life, that goes against everything society ever expected from you? Well for Kit and J.R of Idle Theory Bus, they've definitely decided to take the road less traveled. And they've rarely looked back. After working long hours at jobs they sometimes liked and other times loathed, they decided it was time for a big change. Something that would shake up the very foundation they were taught to believe in. It's almost been six years since they set out on the open road in their orange van called Sunshine, to work, travel and explore the U.S.A. They're your modern day hobo or migrant worker. They've been through the red rock deserts of Utah, and the lush greenery of the Northwest, exploring what it actually means to find balance of the mind, body and spirit. They give new meaning to the gig economy seeker, working on farms, exploring creative pursuits and all in all, uncovering a bit of an idle lifestyle, with a mobile existence. Ultimately, we dive

Rosa Halpern grew up drawing and designing things as a kid. So going into fashion wasn't a stretch of the imagination. But instead of going the traditional route of studying at Parsons or FIT, Rosa decided to go to the Art Institute of Chicago. The interdisciplinary nature of her education encouraged a more conceptual approach to design and fashion, which helped to launch her unique brand known as Namesake. Like a lot of my guests, Rosa didn't set out to be her own boss right away. She actually had an assistant designer position lined up for her when she graduated, only to find out it fell through because the company suddenly dissolved. It forced her to move back home, and figure out her next steps. When a friend asked her to design/create a leather jacket for her, she agreed. And from that point on, friends started to take notice, and then their friends. And the rest as they say, is history. Namesake is built around women who left a powerful imprint on society. As a designer, Rosa wants everyone to be able t

Elise got her first taste of travel on a Contiki tour and never looked back. She was bit by the travel bug. But that also meant that she wasn't suited for the 9-5 lifestyle and being chained to a desk job for the rest of her life. The travel bug meant that she needed to figure out how to create a life that incorporated her passion for travel, while also sustaining her financially. And that wasn't easy. But like most driven individuals, she was determined to succeed. And when a friend of hers put a post on FB looking for a social media expert - Elise pitched herself and became his go-to person. She didn't know everything about social media (and she still doesn't); but she was willing to learn and work hard. And what began as a side hustle, quickly turned into a full fledge business. Not long after starting her freelance career, and working late into the nights after her full time job was done - Elise took the plunge and set out on her own. Since her parents were entrepreneurs in their own right (in real estate