MAD LOVE MONDAY | EMMA - Pretty As A Picture Photography

What is your business & why that field / service/ product?

I bring courage, confidence and authenticity to women’s everyday lives, and I do that primarily through the art of boudoir photography and self love advocacy. 

What inspired you to start your own business? 

In 2011, my hubby and I moved to Canada from England, leaving my career as a Police Officer. I knew it was time for me to start something new. I am very creative and independent so I think I was naturally drawn to creating something of my own. Also, my parents were business owners, as well as my Grandpa and his father (I’m not entirely sure how far back it goes), so it is just a part of me. Photography has been in my life since I was 7 years old and Graphic Design was my best subject at school, so my new career just had to be something to do with art. And that’s how Pretty as a Picture Photography was born. 

Do you have a go to quote / motto? 

I have so many favourite quotes and mottos. 

“Be beautiful, be confident, be YOU” is my own motto, but I love anything Audrey Hepburn or Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

I like to follow Arnie’s 6 rules of success...

1. Trust yourself. 

2. Break some rules. 

3. Don’t be afraid to fail. 

4. Ignore the naysayers. 

5. Work like hell. 

6. Give something back. 

And one of my current favourites is “when you are your authentic self, you have no competition“

What’s a personal goal of yours to accomplish? (time frame?) 

My hubby and I have a lofty goal of paying our total mortgage by 2028 instead of 2041. 

Do you have a professional goal or set of goals for your business? 

I am a natural dreamer, so I’m always thinking up new things and envisioning what my future looks like. For my business, I dream of having the ‘perfect’ studio which basically means renovating my current space (in Stony Plain) or potentially moving to a more modern space. I will also be growing my team, starting with a personal assistant, hopefully by the end of 2019. My goal for this year is to impact and empower over 100 women with boudoir. 

Why do you love being an entrepreneur? 

I love the flexibility, the freedom of time and the creativity. Some days I get to work at home in my pyjamas and no makeup. Sometimes, I’m dressed up in the fanciest dress and up-do. I get to meet lots of like minded people and chat about my passion of helping women. And I get to create different ways (beyond boudoir) of making that happen. 

Did you ever have a time where you wanted to give up? How did you overcome that feeling? 

I am approaching 8 years in business and not once have I wanted to give up. My whole heart is in my business and my vision is to big to quit now. My years in business haven’t been the most successfully financial times of my life, but the successes in other areas keep me going, as well as the support from my hubby and my absolute determination. I started off doing all the photography you can imagine, but it wasn’t serving me. Instead of giving up though, I focused on my true passion...boudoir, and encouraging women to burst out of their comfort zone and into their confidence!

Whats your best boss babe moment? (First moment of reassurance). 

Last year, one of my clients was asked who was her role model. She said me. It definitely brought a tear to my eye, and reassurance that whatever I am doing is making a difference and an impact, slowly but surely. 

What platform do you find most success / interaction from? (IE. Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook). 

I would say that I get way more interaction on Facebook, but Instagram is a close second. As well as my business page, I have a private Facebook Group for boudoir beauties (past, present and future) or for anyone else just wanting a safe and comfortable group to share their thoughts and feelings, and a place to get motivated into practicing self love. 

Work-life Balance: What you do you do to destress? What is your must-have moment of the day (me time)? 

Every morning, I try to read a chapter of a book before I start my day. Sometimes it’s a business book (learning) and sometimes it’s a novel (usually romance, but sometimes mystery or true crime). I also love to escape in the art of pole. I have been doing pole dance classes since summer 2018 and absolutely love it. Its so empowering!

What are you looking to learn from other YEG BOSS BABES in the community? 

I am always looking to learn more, especially about successful marketing and sales tips. But most of all, I like the idea of having a community of like minded women (boss babes) to chat with, and see where the conversation organically goes to. I also like the idea of the workshops, even though I haven’t been able to make it to any yet. 

www.prettyasapicture.ca
Facebook
Join us over on my blog – or even better – signup to my newsletter so that you don’t miss a thing!

MAD LOVE MONDAY | Brandi Morpurgo - Daisy Chain Book Co

I have a confession to make: I have loved books and used bookstores all my life, sometimes more than people.

My name is Brandi Morpurgo and I have a confession to make: I have loved books and used bookstores all my life, sometimes more than people.

For as long as I can remember, books have been my escape, my delight and my companion. Readers are a special breed and bookstores can be a delightful reprieve from the fast-paced impersonal life so many of us experience.

I have worked as a stay-at-home parent, a Barista, a bookseller for a big-box store, a Social Worker at a Pregnancy Centre, an Adoptions Worker and a Foster Parent. When we stopped Fostering due to a failed attempt at adopting our Foster Child of nearly 3 years, my heart needed some comfort - I turned to books and a local bookstore. It was at this point that I began to resurrect an idea that has been brewing in my mind for many years: a mobile used bookshop. This always seemed like a bizarre notion, because I looked around and saw nothing like this... until I heard a podcast one day that reminded me "just because it doesn't already exist doesn't mean it SHOULDN'T exist", and I began researching the booktruck idea.

I loved discovering that my idea is actually an old one, when traveling peddlers would come into villages and towns in a horse-drawn wagon to sell their wares... and bookmobiles were borne out a desire to share books with people who were far from local libraries. This made my heart beat faster. These were my people.

Why do we have to pay so much for books? Why do we settle for an "Add to Cart" online shopping experience when instead we could connect with other humans, and share our love for books? Why do we support a culture of "must have new" when recycling what already exists is such a responsible and trendy practice? How can I blend my love for community with my love for stories? How can I inspire others to expect something more personal from their book shopping experience? 

I had the answer: a Bookshop on Wheels.

Thanks to the remarkable generosity of my husband, Mark, who has a DBA and speaks the language of business and technology, we decided "Let's just go for it!". Our teenage daughters stand back, wondering what the heck has happened to their predictable parents. We began collecting inventory, bought the truck, and began to get ridiculously excited about creating an opportunity to share books with readers in the Edmonton area and smaller towns around Alberta who wanted a whimsical and innovative way to do something they had been doing on autopilot for years: book shopping.

So, here we are. Alberta's First Mobile Bookshop.

Being a business owner is so incredibly challenging, and finding the balance that every other glossy and flawless businesswoman seems to exude is difficult to attain most days. I often joke that if I am glossy it is because carrying a lot of books is quite the workout. I love that I get to call the shots. I work crazy hard, for really long hours, and when I rest, I rest HARD. I am so grateful to be able to bring the nostalgia of bookmobiles from our childhood into a new generation, and see the awe and amazement of people's eyes when they first see the inside of Daisy, our sweet little booktruck.

YegBossBabes is such an empowering and inspired collection of chicks who have one goal: to help female entrepreneurs succeed and feel like they are part of a team. I cannot get over how uplifting that is. Risking it all to go into business is hard. Being a booktruck pioneer in an industry where there are no businesses to model myself after can feel quite lonely. There isn't anyone who can say "Hey, fellow booktruck owner, I feel ya, come on over here and let's compare notes." It's just me. That makes connecting with YegBossBabes even more valuable. 

I wanted to do something different, and I found a tribe of girls who are determined to succeed at the one thing they excel at, no apologies. How fabulous is that?? Every girl who sees a woman doing her thing her way learns that her own dreams are possible. If I can take books into neighbourhoods, markets, communities and create a magical experience for eager readers and provide something that kids are going to feel nostalgic about when they are older, I have accomplished what I set out to do. 

It's not just about the books. It's about the people, the stories we share, and the memories we make as Daisy rolls in, shelves loaded with new and exciting reads just for YOU.

FB: www.facebook.com/daisychainbookco/

Insta: www.instagram.com/daisychainbookco

Twitter: www.twitter.com/DaisyChainBook

www.daisychainbook.co

MAD LOVE MONDAY | Jacquie Duval - Plated Public Relations

Photo | @mattwalkerphoto

Hello everyone! My name is Jacquie DuVal and I am the Director of Plated Public Relations, a Public Relations agency in Edmonton that specializes in the local food scene here in Edmonton. My journey to creating my own business is similar to that of many young moms looking for balance.

Photo | @mattwalkerphoto

Back in 2016, I was on maternity leave with my first daughter, and the thought of going back to work full time after my leave was over terrified me. While I loved my career, I felt that a fundamental shift had occurred within me, and not only did I want more time with my daughter, I needed it. When my then job was unable to grant me a part time position upon my return, I decided to start my own business. At the end of my leave, I did return to full time work, and it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. This only solidified my need for more of a work life balance, and after 5 months of working full time with a young one at home, I quit my job and decided to branch out on my own. Fast forward to 2019 and now I have two daughters and more of a balance between home and work. I only work 3 days a week, and spend the other two days with my daughters, while also trying to get everything done around the house that a mom needs to get done. (Can other mombosses out there relate?)

Photo | @roughley_originals

Why local food? I get this question a lot.

I have a passion for the vibrant local food scene we have here in Edmonton. Working with chefs, restaurants and local market vendors is a passion of mine. Don’t get me wrong, I do take clients outside of the food world as well. I specialize is content creation, including blogs, websites and newsletters. I also help businesses tell their story through social media and through traditional media. Finally, I offer spokesperson training and social media training.

Website
Instagram