MAD LOVE MONDAY | Jordan Gibbins - Glass Slipper Entertainment

GLASS SLIPPER ENTERTAINMENT: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE

My name is Jordan and I have recently returned home after living in China for the past 13

months where I acted and performed at Shanghai Disneyland Resort. Working in

Shanghai Disneyland opened my eyes to a world full of magic, smiles and happiness. So

much so, I want to continue to share that magic and joy with everyone here at home

through Glass Slipper Entertainment. I know it can be difficult to travel to far away

places to meet fairytale princesses, so I thought I could bring them here.

Having the incredible opportunity to live in China, and to work for Disney was both life

changing and eye opening for me. Not only was I immersed in a brand new culture full of

tradition and history (and tons of people), I also got to work for a company I had only

dreamed of working for.

Reminiscing…

I have been performing for nearly 20 years. When I started my training way-back-when,

never in my wildest dreams could I have seen myself performing for Disney. I remember

for my 12th birthday, my parents (and grandparents) took my family and I to Disneyland

for the first time. As cheesy as it may sound, I honestly get emotional just writing about

it. I am sure most people out there remember their first trip to Disneyland (or any of the

Disney parks), because it really does make memories that last a lifetime. For me, it was

hands down the most magical place on earth. That trip holds some of my most cherished

memories. I remember seeing some of the princesses from a distance, and then actually

getting to meet a couple of them in person, and being mesmerized and in complete awe. It

was safe to say I was star struck. Was it real? Was I really getting to meet a real live

princess?! It was a dream come true.

Little did I know, more than a decade later another dream would come true… working for

Shanghai Disneyland Resort. This time, not only did I get to make more of my own

memories that will last forever, I was able to take part in the magical memory-making of

so many little ones that came to visit the park in Shanghai. This is something so special, it

is difficult for me to put into words. So I will leave it up to your imagination.

A little more about me, past and present…

(so stop here if you’ve read enough lol)

Dance vs. School

My passion is and has always been performing arts, dancing in particular. The pressure of

making a decision of what to do after graduating high school was stressful. What I truly

wanted to do was move to New York or Los Angeles and just dance. But a part of me

(particularly the left side of my brain), wanted to pursue an education heavily involved in

numbers and science. Somehow I found a way to do both… I danced my way through a

Petroleum Engineering degree from the U of A. Okay, I didn’t quite “dance” my way through.

It was the hands down the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but definitely the

most rewarding.

After the oil industry crashed and after I had to move on from dancing on cruise ships, I

decided to enrol in Public Relations at Ryerson University. I graduated in June of 2018.

And I fell in love with the industry, one I was so unaware of prior to my education. I am

grateful that I can at least apply this skill/knowledge while running my business. And I

must say it has been quite helpful thus far.

Needless to say, I have never really known what I “wanted to do with my life”. The one

thing that has remained constant is performing; that I know, and have always known, is

my passion. So I have always just found a way to make it work. No excuses.

My reality

Without too many details, I also have a passion and dynamic love for giving back to

communities and making a difference in the lives of people who need it most. I founded

and co-founded multiple fundraisers: one for family victims in Afghanistan after the

tragedies of 2001, and another after the horrific aftermath of the Tsunami in Indonesia

and Thailand in 2004. When I was young I was often trying to come up with ways to help

other people.

That, combined with always having a desire to have control of my own schedule and

working for myself made the business idea of performing, making people smile, bringing

them joy (along with myself), seemed like I hit the jack pot.

… And then reality kicked in, when I realized I knew nothing (and I mean NOTHING)

about running or operating a business. Whenever I feel like I have chosen wrong, or feel

like maybe tossing in the towel, I attend a networking event or entrepreneur workshop

and inspiration kicks back in. I have also discovered that our city is FULL of wonderful

resources for entrepreneurs and small business owners. I just think that is so awesome! I

know it definitely enables and inspires me to keep going and learning as much as I can.

Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely venture. So it really is important to take care of

yourself mentally and physically. It’s important to surround yourself with positive people

who inspire and challenge you. They can be people who you’ve known your whole life,

or someone you’ve just met (at a workshop for example). Being a part of the YEG Boss

Babe community feels like a wonderful privilege and an amazing opportunity. One that I

am very grateful for, even though I’ve just started…

I thank all of you wonderful, strong, independent and intelligent women in advance,

because I guarantee you, your efforts will be appreciated in one way or another.

Since starting my business I now say, you can never have too much happiness, too

much laughter, too many stories or too deep of a smile line.

www.GlassSlipper.ca | 780-966-9902 

MAD LOVE MONDAY | Ashley Rosenow - Illustrious Interiors

@mintedphotography

My name is Ashley Rosenow and I am the proud owner of Illustrious Interiors. Currently I offer interior decorating, home staging and styling, interior organizing, paint consultations, and custom murals. At one point, most of these services were solely a hobby of my own and I could only have dreamt of using my creativity in a home other than my own. I truly believe that you can accomplish anything if you set your mind to it.

After having my children, my work priorities changed and I knew immediately it was time to pursue my passion of interior design. This meant I could spend more time with my children and be the mother and wife I envisioned to be. This doesn’t come without a challenge though. Any Mompreneur understands the struggle of work/life/balance of trying to run a business and provide for your family that demands you-all at the same time. I can’t say that I have found that perfect balance yet, but I do feel blessed to have my beautiful family and my dream job right in front of me. Life will always be changing around you. You can either succumb to the challenges, or face them without fear of the future. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t think I am capable enough. I believe putting in 110% effort with a positive attitude will always pay off.

My business came by demand. What started out as creating unique pieces and rooms in my own home, blossomed into requests from friends/family, that by word of mouth alone turned into more and more clients. I began researching social media strategies, built a portfolio by decorating many unique rooms, became a certified home stager, and then officially opened for business.

I have always been passionate about decorating and even on my “down time” you can find me inside Homsense or Michaels strolling about envisioning decorating or creating for a new space. I love the challenge of working in a new space with old and new furniture and making it all come together in a seamless way. Many times, when I stage a home, I am utilizing what the client has before purchasing anything new and the outcome has always been successful.

It is funny to think how murals came about. They are one of my favorite services I provide. Often when I am decorating a room, I am working within a budget and although wallpaper can be beautiful, often it can be costly. There are many times where I just end up challenging myself to see if I can paint something similar for a fraction of the price, and not to mention the colors usually work a bit better with the room since it is all custom! Murals ended up being requested so often that I decided to add it to my list of services.

@mintedphotography

Painting has always been incredibly soothing to me and I am always so inspired by other artists. I love painting floral murals and when I came across the giant floral painting on 72 St and 101 Ave in Edmonton I was in absolute awe! How has this been in Edmonton since 1998 and I have only just seen it this year! It is definitely something worth seeing!

Speaking of the YEG community, the biggest thing I am thankful for within my business by far has been my friends, family, clients, and supporters. I am pretty active on Facebook and Instagram and the number of referrals that I have seen on there alone from locals, have brought me so much business and it hasn’t gone unnoticed! These referrals have been my biggest aid in getting my name out there and I couldn’t do it without my support team!

Although I spend hours and hours on Pinterest looking for inspiration and ideas, I have yet to really figure out how to use it for my business. I started up a page right from the get-go, but I don’t really use it yet. This year my goal is to use Pinterest to my advantage and blog a little more on my site! My next goal is to duplicate myself so I can get a little more done, although this is not quite obtainable it would be really nice! This year I would also love to attend a Boss Babe mixer and get to know some other amazing YEG Boss Babes! In the meantime, head over to my Instagram and Facebook and come say Hi! I would love to meet you!

INSTAGRAM GRID STYLING | Sonia Gonzalez Bsocial Communications

Three Steps to Styling your Instagram Grid

When you have someone visit your business Instagram account, what do you want them to see? Want them to notice your personality, a strong brand voice and an overarching visual story? If so, a consistent and structured Instagram grid can help strike interest and even motivate someone to follow your account.

Just like your written content, each piece of visual content plays into a larger strategy. Here are three steps to creating your Instagram visual strategy:

1. Choose a grid layout

When you begin to think about your Instagram style strategy, start by choosing how you want to lay out your photos. An Instagram grid layout is essentially how each post is positioned in your feed and is built on a structured design.

The layout can be simply posting all square photos with the same theme and filter (next step), or you can structure your page with unique elements like borders, create tile patterns like a checkerboard or post similar photos in a group of three to build a storyline. Regardless of the layout you choose, the key is to stick with it and be consistent.

2. Choose a photo theme and filter

Once you have a layout in mind, it’s time to pick your instagram photo theme. Do you want your page to be all light photos or have a dark and moody feel? Do you want all your photos to have a vintage feel or want all your photos to be in black and white? When picking a theme be sure to go with one that represents you and your brand. If you’re bold and bright, have your photos reflect that. If you want something easy to maintain and more on the conservative side, maybe a white and grey look is more your style.

Once you pick your theme, photo filter and lighting style be sure to stick with it. Consistency is key! If there are photos and videos you would like to post but they don’t go with the flow of your grid, place them in your story. They will still gain exposure and engagement.

3. Have a content plan

The type of content you post and how the photos are placed will add to the flow and visual appeal of your page. Consistency comes with content planning. Create a brief outline of what you want to post ahead of time (it can even be three weeks at a time). Next, take the photos you need based on that plan so you have a database of photos to pull from.

This will ensure consistency in your photos and content and will help avoid the inevitable panic for looking for something to post.  

Examples of accounts rocking the grid game

Here are five professional Instagram grid styles mastered by local boss babes that will be sure to inspire you to find your own visual voice!

Account: @velvetcrane

Grid layout: Checkerboard

Theme: muted, natural colour palette

Content: natural beauty line promoting self-love and honest beauty

Account: @choicesandvoicesbirth

Grid layout: vertical lines

Theme: black and white with a splash of colour

Content: birthing education and empowering women

Account: @mushroomsandthyme

Grid layout: traditional squares

Theme: dark, moody feels

Content: food sharing and styling

Account: @shopnor

Grid layout: coloured borders

Theme: muted, natural colour palette

Content: vintage and handmade apparel, sustainable fashion

Account: @apelechaty

Grid layout: traditional squares

Theme: black and white

Content: personal blog

Looking for some guidance on how to create a professional and eye-catching Instagram page? bSocial Communications creates customized and easy to follow Instagram style strategies that you can implement yourself. Learn more about bSocial Communications at www.bsocial.ca or @bsocialcomm.