MAD LOVE MONDAY | Terrissa Corrinne - Branch & Leaf

Hi! I’m TC, short for Terrissa Corrinne, which is always a topic of conversation but I promise there are more interesting things about me than my funny name. I’m so excited that YEG Boss Babes has invited me to share my business with you! The company I own is called Branch & Leaf and my goal is to create easier access to therapy tools for parents and caregivers, with a special focus on items to support children with Autism and Sensory Processing Disorders.

I’ve worked with children and adults with special needs for just over 10 years now. I’ve served in several different positions, most recently as a Behavioural Therapist with teenagers with Autism. I’ve worked with families, in schools, and in residential programs and the common thread I’ve found is that therapy tools are so hard to get into the hands of people who need them. There’s so many layers of bureaucracy in between families and tools that most people don’t even know where to look for these items, or what items could help with what behaviours, or how to use them. My goal is to bridge the gap. Branch & Leaf is brand new, but in the near future there will be blog posts to go along with many items to detail how to use them, why, and have an easy to follow link to purchase- and to get some of these items at less than half the price.

My dream for this business is to see happier families, children with less aggressive or destructive behaviours, and the tools to modify the behaviours with skills to help grow and move past the difficult seasons that come with certain disabilities. I truly believe it is possible for families to take control of their lives in these difficult situations if they are allowed to access the right tools.

This business I’ve created just opened in April of 2019 so there is a long road ahead of me. Coming from my background of art and behavioral therapy means this whole business side of life is brand new but I am blessed to have the time and fire within me to learn and grow each day. My dream for this business is to grow it to a large enough scale to really create an impact in my community and beyond. Because Branch & Leaf is online based it creates a unique opportunity to stretch all the way across the country- or even further- to really touch the lives of people who need it. It’s been amazing that in such a short amount of time I am already reaching families, building relationships with other entrepreneurs and being reached out to from more established companies for collaboration and, man, do I ever feel like a Boss Babe!

It’s easy to feel the dreaded “imposter syndrome” while stepping out of your comfort zone but I’ve had so many amazing supportive people around me who just want to see it succeed and that feels amazing!

I primarily focus my energy towards Instagram, as that’s my favourite social media platform, and I have been finding so many amazing connections there. My instagram page @branch.leaf is primarily supportive, towards families or children with differences and also women like me- stepping out into the world to make change. Making change in the community also creates change in yourself and I believe its so important to make sure that we stay strong and confident. Change starts at home. Together we can make this world a better place.

I hope you’ve found this article interesting and inspiring and are itching to get a look at what I’ve got brewing. I welcome you to follow along on Instagram or Facebook, reach out for collaborations, and share the shop with anyone you think may need it. I can’t wait to meet you!

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
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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