MAD LOVE MONDAY - Jamie Bay | Momentum Walk-In Counselling
Jamie works as a Manager of Cause Marketing & Social Impact at ATB. As part of her role, she has the opportunity of leading philanthropic storytelling
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MEET JAMIE!
Jamie works as a Manager of Cause Marketing & Social Impact at ATB. As part of her role, she has the opportunity of leading philanthropic storytelling and working towards ATB’s goal of being loved and respected by all Albertans. In addition to this role, Jamie is the Board Chairman for Momentum Walk-In Counselling and is also co-chairing Edmonton (and Momentum’s) very first Mental Health Awards. She also volunteers as a content writer for the Ad Club of Edmonton and as a mentor with the IABC mentorship program. Helping young marketing and communications professionals is very important to her, as she understands the difficulties of having your voice heard and skills acknowledged at a young age.
Favorite spot to work ‘off-site’ in Edmonton?
Woodrack Cafe & the Nook Cafe. I love the decor and vibes in both!
What is your role at ATB and why did you choose that career path?
As a Cause-Marketing and Social Impact Manager for ATB, I have the opportunity of making lasting change by lending a voice to our community. It’s incredibly rewarding. I love being able to use my skills as a marketer to strive towards ATB’s mandate of creating happiness in the lives of others. Some ‘hats’ I wear include managing two of our company-wide corporate social responsibility programs, maintaining relationships with our non-profit partners, event planning, leading our external diversity and inclusion initiatives, and spearheading cause-marketing campaigns alongside our talented internal ad agency. I love that no day is ever the same, and that I get to utilize my creativity while doing something I find meaningful.
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Most challenging part of your position?
Always stepping out of the box, and finding innovative ways to share our stories. I think technology, the way we do business, and the ways people prefer to receive information is rapidly changing, so it’s always important to take time for research and finding new ways to stand out and be bold. I think it’s easy to get caught up in day to day tasks, but so important to always revert back to the bigger picture of what you’re trying to achieve. If you’re not getting your message out properly, the day to day tasks are essentially meaningless. For me, my biggest challenge is continually reminding myself to step back and ensure I’m taking those proper steps and tactics to ensure success.
Favorite app/blog/book
Books have always been my go-to (especially self-help books!). It’s not that all these books have new ideas or provide me with some sort of revelation, but every time I pick a new one up, I become eager and motivated by the words I read, and usually begin to improve my well being in some way. Some of my favorite authors include Brene Brown, Gretchen Rubin, Robin Sharma, and Arianna Huffington. Thrive by Arianna Huffington is probably my top pick!
Tell us more about your role with Momentum, and Edmonton’s first mental health awards?
I’ve recently taken on the role of Chairman of the Board for Momentum and am also managing Edmonton (and Momentum’s) very first Mental Health Awards. Momentum is an amazing non-profit in Edmonton that works to break the barriers surrounding the traditional health care system by offering immediate walk-in counselling at a price people can afford. No long wait times, and no outrageous prices. It’s something I’m truly passionate about as I feel everyone should receive affordable and immediate care for their mental health.
The goal of our first mental health awards are to recognize local change-makers who are making a difference for our city’s mental health community. We want to celebrate how far we’ve come, and recognize these incredible leaders and organizations who are creating lasting change.
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What inspired your involvement with Momentum and co-leading Edmonton’s first mental health awards?
For me, I wanted to use my skills to support a cause that’s deeply rooted in who I am, as someone who struggles with anxiety. It’s something that not a lot of people know about me. I think the moment I started wanting to ‘destroy’ this reputation I had, so to speak, was when I was told by a couple of people that I seemed so put together, and had everything figured out. I remember thinking how boring and fake that was. No one has it all figured out, and everyone is struggling with something. Everyone. So behind all of my filtered Instagram photos, I began sharing with more people about my struggles with anxiety. And without fail, every time I allow myself to be vulnerable enough to share these struggles, people open up to me about their own battles with mental health. People I would have never known are struggling.
That’s why I believe in the importance of pushing myself to step out of my comfort zone, break my reputation of seeming ‘put together’, and share my journey with others. After all, that connectedness to one another is part of being a human - it’s so amazing to know that we are all more similar than different. One of my favorite quotes that I read a while ago in Sophia Amoruso’s book, #Girlboss, is “I want to be as vulnerable and raw as possible, so others feel less alone.” Such powerful words to live by.
Words of advice for fellow YEG Bosses?
Always continue to run from comfort. The times when I’ve felt most out of my comfort zone are the times I’m most proud of in my life. Volunteer for a cause that you’re passionate about (even if you don’t see an opportunity - just ask for one! Lot’s of non-profits are always looking for pro-bono help.). Figure out what fuels your passion, and jump in with both feet. Go for a coffee with a YEG boss babe you admire. Ask that boss babe to hook you up for coffee with another YEG boss babe (side note - this is one of my favorite things to do. Going for coffee is my favorite thing to do with women I find inspiring. It keeps me on my toes and gets me thinking about new ideas or ways to improve myself. My biggest piece of advice is to step far out of your comfort zone and opportunities will come.
What do you think is one of the most important skills to have in your career?
I love taking writing courses whenever I get a chance. I think it’s such an important skill for every business person, and I thoroughly enjoy taking time to improve on it. This is one of the reasons I love volunteering as a blogger & content writer for the Advertising Club of Edmonton. It’s a great way to ensure I’m practicing these skills as often as I can.
Do you have a plan for where you’d like to be in 5 years?
I think if there’s one thing I’ve learned from all the leaders that inspire me, it’s to not set a specific long-term path and be open to opportunities as they come. At the start of my career, I had very set intentions and tried to plan everything out. Now, although I do set goals over the course of the year, I only have a vague idea of the direction I’d like to take in my career. It also takes a lot of pressure off myself. If you’re too focused on a specific path, it’s much easier to turn down opportunities that could just lead you to the most incredible places.
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What’s a personal goal of yours you hope to accomplish?
Mastering the art of meditation (and making more time for it). Meditation allows me to connect with the present moment, truly makes me feel more creative in the work I do, increases my productivity, and reminds me of the fact that we have such a limited time here on earth. For me, it’s benefits are incredibly rewarding and I want to continue to push myself to make more time for it in my daily routine. It’s definitely an ongoing goal. If you’re looking to get more into meditation, I highly suggest the app, ‘Headspace’.
How do you stay organized and manage your time throughout the week?
My google calendar is my lifeline. Seriously. I include everything in it - meetings, personal commitments, volunteering. If it doesn’t go in my calendar immediately, chances are it will be forgotten.
I also always have an ongoing ‘to-do’ list sitting at my desk, accompanied by a sticky note on top of that to do list (otherwise known as a ‘sh*t I really have to do list). Last, I make sure I do little things on Sunday’s like meal prep, workout prep, and outfit prep (yes, that is a thing), to make sure I’m not bombarded with small, but time consuming decisions throughout the week.
What’s your best boss babe moment? (First moment of reassurance).
Becoming a cause-marketing manager. It was a big jump from my previous role as a coordinator, and the first time I felt really confident in the work I was doing. It gave me the courage to pursue things like providing strategic advice on a board of directors, and taking on more pro-bono work for non-profit organizations.
Work-life Balance: What you do you do to destress? What is your must-have moment of the day (me time)?
Work-life balance is a huge focus for me as I constantly need to work on keeping up my mental health. This means hot yoga and meditation sessions are a must during my week. I’ve learned to commit myself to 6AM classes as there’s no possibility of double-booking myself, or creating excuses after a long day. I also have certain ‘mantras’ set for myself so I never get too overwhelmed: Things like not working past 6PM, never taking on more than 3 ‘after-work’ commitments a week, making time for exercise, and having weekends to myself are a few of these rules I follow. They allow me to be the best version of myself and make everything easier to manage.
Where can we find you?
MAD LOVE MONDAY - Chris Ricke | The Whitewood Barn
1. WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS? The Whitewood Barn wedding and event centre in Leduc County.
1. What is your business?
The Whitewood Barn wedding and event centre in Leduc County.
2. What inspired you to start your own business?
I was inspired to create the Whitewood by the creativity that is available in local talent and passionate entrepreneurs in our community. The Whitewood’s foundation will be built on partnerships and passion of providing that special “Best Day Ever”! The Whitewood will provide a rustic, elegant comfortable place for all celebrations and to create life long memories.
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3. Do you have a go to motto?
Simplify, with elegance, comfort and passion
4. What is a personal goal of yours?
I want to become social media savvy. In charge of my expression and vision.
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5. What is a professional goal of yours?
To be debt free in 5 years, while encouraging growth of celebrations.
6. Why do you love being an entreprenuer?
I love choosing everyday what I do and creating daily challenge.
7. Have you ever had a time where you wanted to give up?
Absolutely! I overcame the desire of giving up by putting myself in positive networks of the industry I was trying to enter.
8. Whats your best boss babe moment?
Purchasing the venue property!
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9. Whats your favourite platform to use?
Instagram & Wedding Wire
10. What is your must have moment of the day (me time)?
My morning coffee and touch base day.
11. What are looking forward to in the Yegbossbabe community?
Networking and surrounding myself with passionate, strong positive minds with a drive for growth and kindness.
http://www.thewhitewoodbarn.com
https://www.instagram.com/whitewoodbarn
Interested in being featured? email us at yegbossbabes@gmail.com
MAD LOVE MONDAY - Sonia Gonzalez | bSocial Communications Inc.
Entrepreneur life can take you on so many different journeys. The most rewarding and exciting one for me so far has been my creative journey.
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Entrepreneur life can take you on so many different journeys. The most rewarding and exciting one for me so far has been my creative journey.
This whole business thing started with a hint of curiosity, a drive for creativity and a passion to help others. At the time when the idea of being an entrepreneur popped into my head, I wondered, “is there a way to combine my desire to be more creative with my communications experience and my love for local businesses? I’m sure there is, but can I pay my bills doing it?”
Thinking about going out on my own warmed my whole body. It ignited a fire within me. The prospect of using the wealth of creativity I knew I had available with my communications skills and putting that into helping small businesses was a dream job in my mind and one that I knew I had to pursue.
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That fire was the start of bSocial Communications Inc.
One thing I knew for sure going into my business was that it was going to be an extension of who I was. In order for this to be successful, the creative drive and exploration for myself and my business had to work together. It had to be authentic.
When I went full-time with bSocial Communications I instantly noticed the creative flow came so naturally. The creativity I was tapping into was really working for my business and clients. Awesome!
But then I encountered a challenge.
The nature of my business requires me to dive into that creative pool at all times. I write all day, every day. From communications strategy to social media marketing to content development for blogs and websites. I need to tune into that creativity to help my clients reach their audience and ensure their content is packed with their passion and personality. I absolutely love every aspect of this, but it does require a lot of brain power and time.
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I realized that there was such an abundance of creative opportunities for me in my business, but I was starting to pull back from making space to explore my creativity outside my work.
“Creativeprenuers” rely on their creativity to fuel their soul and to fuel their business. To nourish this talent, they need space for creative freedom, away from timelines, expectations and contractual obligations.
By implementing a habit of building in creative space, I stopped putting so much pressure on myself to be productive at all hours of the day and started to devote some more time to growing my skills and tending to my creative interests.
Here are some creative space makers that have helped me grow in my business.
Exploring creative avenues outside my work that bring me joy
Allowing space for creative projects that make me happy has really upped my game. For me, this comes in the form of interior design and fashion. Whenever a friend or colleague asks for help with a home/office design project or a shopping trip to refresh their wardrobe, I’m all up in that and don’t feel guilty for taking time out of my day to enjoy that time with them.
Through these creative outlets I energize myself, I feel happy and confident and it helps me fine tune my design eye for when I do photos and video for my business. Win, win!
Exploring creative avenues that take me out of my comfort zone
This has proved to be both challenging and rewarding. No one wants to go out and do something they are not good at. What I have found is that by pushing myself through a creative project (at least once a month) that doesn’t come naturally to me forces me to grow in ways I didn’t know I needed. For myself and my business.
Going out of my comfort zone in a creative way has helped me learn patience and how to fail and be ok with it. Being creative isn’t always about rocking it and producing something that is perfect. There is a lot to be learned from the imperfections and we need to embrace that more as creative thinkers.
Creating space through meditation
I have found the best way to give myself creative space is to clear the space in my mind. I do this through a regular meditation practice (30 minutes every day). Meditation has been the most powerful creative source for me as an individual and business owner.
Sometimes you are so deep into the business you can’t see the most obvious and potentially most important opportunities in front of you. Meditation is a great way to look internally for answers and to allow new ideas to surface.
The #yegbossbabes community is full of creative, innovative women. One thing I’d like to share with fellow #yegbossbabes is to remember to be kind to yourself. Carve out space and time to explore your creativity, with no expectations and boundaries. It will inspire you to try new things and replenish that curiosity.
Isn’t that what got us into business in the first place?
Thank you,
Sonia Gonzalez