Celebrating International Women’s Day with Futurpreneur Entrepreneurs

At Futurpreneur Canada, we get to work with so many inspiring female entrepreneurs. To celebrate International Women’s Day today, we wanted to chat with some of these fearless leaders on why they feel women should consider entrepreneurship as a viable career option, what and who inspires them, and the words they live by.

Emma Harding – Rockit Vocal Studios (Calgary, Alberta)

Why do you feel women should pursue a career in entrepreneurship?

I believe anyone who feels they have the entrepreneurial spirit should follow their dreams, male or female. But believing that as a woman you can do it as well as our male counterparts is incredibly important. In turn, we also get to be role models for future female entrepreneurs.

Do you have a female inspiration or mentor that inspires you?

My female mentors and inspirations were all rock stars! They worked hard to be heard and respected in the music industry, and in turn I use that as inspiration to drive myself, in certain areas where women are not always given the support or respect they deserve. You also have to know your business and industry inside and out, and be the best at what you do. There’s a big difference between a one hit wonder and a legend. This applies in business too.

What are your words to live by?

If it’s not fun, don’t do it. For an entrepreneur this is key. You are about to invest the majority of your life in to your business. If you don’t enjoy it, it won’t work, and you will be miserable.

April Link – Outer Coast Outfitters (Prince Rupert, British Columbia)

Why do you feel women should pursue a career in entrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurship requires a huge variety of skills and tasks, which is, I think, a really common demand of women’s personal, home lives as well. So, that part transfers over. Starting and running your own business puts all of the power to succeed in your own hands; not to say you cannot fail, but if you do, or if you only go so far, it is not because of a male-dominated corporate structure, glass ceiling or old boys club mentality. And by the same token, you have room to grow, be creative and succeed if the rest of the components are in place.

Do you have a female inspiration or mentor that inspires you?

I have three inspirations:

• My Baba seemed to me, as a child to be the ultimately capable woman; I never knew her to have a job out of the home, but she ran the household, grew a massive garden to feed everyone, always engaged us kids and kept her social life active.
• My friend, Pizarczyk struck me as super-powerful from our first meeting. I remember her telling me once when we had a VIP come visit the college that she introduced herself because that VIP needed to know who she was. That comment really taught me to share my value with other people and not let myself be overlooked.
• My canoe and kayak Instructor, Laurel Archer seemed to me to be living the dream, paddling and writing for a living. Although my dream is a bit different now, she made such a thing seem possible when I had never known a woman who did that before her.

And one inspiring mentor:

• Kristi Farrell, Owner of Opa Sushi and Cow Bay Cafe in Prince Rupert. She finds a way to run two busy restaurants, be a student, a mom and have a relationship with her husband, not to mention mentor me! I’m so glad to have someone who manages so much available to help and support me through my start-up.

What are your words to live by?

I’m not just building my business, I’m building my life the way I want it to be.

Anita Cheung – Social Yoga (Vancouver, British Columbia)

Why do you women in particularly should pursue a career in entrepreneurship?

I can’t speak for all females, but I find that a career in entrepreneurship allows me a sense of freedom- in time, creativity, and decision making, that I really appreciate.

Do you have a female inspiration or mentor that inspires you?

So many, but to list a few…

My official mentor, Lauren Armstrong of Party Skirts for her creativity, poise, and resilience.

Other notable mentions are Sonia Chhinji of Woodlot for her business prowess (while staying humble), Keighty Gallagher of Tight Club & Alex Mazerolle of Girlvana/ Distrikt Movement for paving the way and shaking up the world of fitness and yoga.

Not mentioned: all the incredible women I follow on Instagram both within Vancouver & around the world who are up to some great things.

What are your words to live by?

It’s either a good time or a good story.

Krystal Hobbs – Reflective Marketing (St. John’s, Newfoundland)

Why do you feel women should pursue a career in entrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurship is the greatest journey in self-discovery. While it’s not the reason I set out to start my own business, my personal growth has been the most surprising benefit of starting my own business. There is nothing more empowering than creating something. If you want to see how far you can go when the only person you have to depend on is yourself, start a business. Don’t wait until you feel ‘ready’ (spoiler alert: you’ll never feel ready)! Once you’ve experienced all the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, nothing will scare you.

Do you have a female inspiration or mentor that inspires you?

There are so many incredible female entrepreneurs out there. One inspirational entrepreneur that I’ve been following recently is Kimra Luna. She is a personal branding and online business strategist who built her business from nothing to nearly 1 million dollars in a year. What I love most about her is that she is unapologetically authentic; she follows her vision and doesn’t care what anyone thinks. She’s a great example of how to harness your personality to grow your business.

What are your words to live by?

I have two main mantras that help me get through the majority of the challenges that face my business. First is simply “say yes.” When faced with a new problem or an uncertain opportunity, it’s easy to be intimidated and not want to take a risk. I remind myself not to let my fear take over, to just say yes and figure out the details later. My second mantra is “do the right thing.” As long as I continue to do the right thing, I can sleep at night.

Elisa John – Enigma Hair Inc. (Oakville, Ontario)

Why do you feel women should pursue a career in entrepreneurship?

I feel women should pursue entrepreneurship because we have so much to offer the business world. More specifically, women are great at strategizing, multi-tasking and are highly creative; which can ultimately lead to great success as an entrepreneur.

Do you have a female inspiration or mentor that inspires you?

Devon Brooks is my mentor. Devon and I were connected through Futurpreneur Canada and I cannot begin to express how grateful I am and how blessed I feel to have Devon as my mentor. Devon’s industry know-how, her unapologetic and fearless outlook on entrepreneurship, and her mentorship style inspires me and have been instrumental in taking the Evr Hair brand to the next level. Through Devon’s mentorship I have taken risks that I would not normally have taken; through her coaching I have grown both as an entrepreneur and as a business woman. Devon is a natural born leader, motivator and creative mind who is committed to and invested in the success of every person she works with.

What are your words to live by?

There is a quote by Confucius that reads:

“Choose a job that you love and you will never work a day in your life.”

Through my pursuit of entrepreneurship I am beginning to see this saying come to life and it is exciting!

Ariane Truong – Midi Marketplace (Montreal, Quebec)

Why do you feel women should pursue a career in entrepreneurship?

Women definitely bring a different approach. Right now, the start-up world is very homogenized, but it’s clear organizations only benefit from diverse thinking. There are some interesting studies from places like Forbes that show women are changing corporate culture for the better – we’re considered calculated risk takers oriented towards sustainable growth – plus we’re more ambitious! Bottom line: it’s always stronger to have varied points of view and approaches to issues – and it’s definitely better for the economy.

Do you have a female inspiration or mentor that inspires you? 

I’m very inspired by women that had had tremendous success and are relatable – like Jocelyn Leavitt from Hopscotch. She created this amazing site to make coding accessible, but like me she started out from a totally different place, career-wise. I began my working life as an architect, she started out in real estate and education – and now she’s enjoyed huge success in the tech industry with Hopscotch. Maybe I’m projecting, but she seems down to earth and like overall nice person, and she created something hugely successful. It’s encouraging to look up to relatable women like her.

What are your words to live by?

One more step forward.

It’s sometimes so overwhelming in the startup world. You’re constantly compared to other organizations, there are highs, lows and super lows.  And there are definitely days where you want to throw in the towel and walk away. I just constantly remind myself to keep moving forward, no matter how small of a step it seems. And when that’s not enough to get me going, I remember my favourite Orson Wells quote: Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.

Gwen Richards of Fable Naturals (Vancouver, British Columbia)

Why do you feel women should pursue a career in entrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurship is about being free to choose your own path. Too often in the corporate world women have to face the gender gap both in pay and in career growth. When you create your own business you become the biggest factor in your successes and your failures.

Do you have a female inspiration or mentor that inspires you? 

I have always admired the Harriet Lamb, former CEO of Fairtrade International. Over a 10+ year period she transformed the face of fair trade in the UK and Europe and made a significant impact to so many people’s lives. As a campaigner for fair trade and poverty alleviation she is never afraid to get fully involved, visiting farmers in developing countries and taking a hands on approach to spreading her message. To make a difference like that you have be serious and driven about your work, yet Harriet always manages to create a fun atomopshere around her. She has an amazing wit and just lights up a room when she enters.

What are your words to live by?

Just go for it. If you wait for everything to fall into place perfectly, you’ll never make the leap.