MAD LOVE MONDAY | Ashley Prince - More Fun! Gourmet Sweets

I am Ashley Prince the owner and baker behind More Fun! Gourmet Sweets. More Fun! Is all about taking classic sweets and transforming them with healthful and gourmet ingredients. Each baked good is made with a combination of Sprouted Spelt flour and unbleached flour, organic produce, eggs and dairy and natural flavors and colors. Everyone is trying to consume less processed foods and more natural ingredients but everyone still craves sweets like cakes and cupcakes! So I set out to make better sweets, ones that you can feel good about serving yourself and your family.

More Fun! Came to fruition from one comment on my personal Facebook page. My sister had asked me to make her wedding cupcakes and I was practicing my piping skills and posting them to Facebook. Someone commented and asked “how much for an order?” At this time I was practicing with a bran muffin and store bought icing, so the thought that someone was interested in ordering was hilarious. But, I knew I could put together something absolutely delicious for this person, so I began to brain storm. And that folks, is how it all began.

When I created more fun! I had just been laid off, and I ended up being out of work for 8 months. The creation of my business allowed me to focus on something other than being out of work and that was huge for me. Fast forward nearly 2 years and I am embarking on the biggest challenge yet. I am crowdfunding in the month of February 2019 in hopes of gathering the remaining funds to move into a storefront in Leduc!

In this blog post, I wanted to touch on something I feel is relevant to me right now but also for many women going through the entrepreneur journey. I want you to have the confidence to “try”. Whatever that may mean for you- the next step in your business, the realization of an idea you have been mulling over for some time- find the confidence to try it. Because that’s how my journey began, I wanted to give this baking thing a try.

As my journey continued, I began to notice a change in myself that has truly been eye opening. I have realized my tenacity and instincts are more powerful than I have ever allowed them to be in the past. I attribute that evolution to allowing myself to become an entrepreneur. Yes I say “allow” because 3 years ago I would never have had the notion of starting a business from scratch. I allowed myself to run with an idea. To dream and create something without the fear of rejection. At the time, my bakery was just an idea that no one knew about but me. Slowly the idea grew stronger to the point I shared it and started to find ways to bring my products to the people to see what they thought. And do you know what? They loved it! And when I was told “these are the best cupcakes I have ever had”, that’s when I knew I couldn’t stop and I had to work towards bringing my baked goods to the masses. And this happened all because I found the confidence to try.

I decided late in 2018 that I was going to take a BIG step and launch a crowdfunding campaign to help raise the remaining funds to open my storefront. I knew it was time for the next big “try”. To take a calculated risk in hopes of furthering my business. I am preparing myself for the emotional rollercoaster ride that will follow with this crowdfunding campaign. I encourage you to follow me on social media, as I post about the highs and lows of this next chapter of my business. Perhaps my journey will give you the inspiration to try.

If you would like to contribute to my campaign you can visit my Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, website or visit atbboostr.ca. Every contribution receives a reward, so I urge you to check it out! Campaign runs from Feb 1- 28th.

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!