MAD LOVE MONDAY | Fanny Kung

My FK*IT Lash business started on my drive to work one day. It was dark, cold and early, and my falsies were NOT cooperating. FK*IT. I’d worked in retail for a decade, cosmetics for a large portion of it, but I’d never been able to find anything that would work on my Southeastern, Asian, mono-lid eye.

It was rare that I met a makeup artist who knew how to work with my eye shape until I entered the industry myself. It’s amazing that brands are becoming more inclusive, and I hope to be able to contribute to that growth, even a little bit.  

I reached out to many different sources to find false lashes that could truly be comfortable on all eye shapes and look badass at the same time. I got samples from all over the world and asked friends in the cosmetics industry for their feedback.

The best decision I made was to hire a professional graphic designer once I had secured my product.

I ran into a friend who’s a graphic designer, and I’m so happy I invested in the packaging and marketing from the get-go as opposed to waiting until the business picked up before re-branding. Not only did a professional help me gain a sense of confidence in my vision for my brand, but it also helped me to make sure I stayed true to myself. At the end of the day, this is my business, and the packaging is me—on a box. No one who knows me can say they are surprised by the color palette, design, and accent details!

FK*IT Lashes is a brand-new venture for me. Despite having just launched September 7th this year, I’ve already had the pleasure of being invited to showcase my products at four events. I’ve learned to refine what I do to better reach my target customer base and had the opportunity to meet and learn from so many amazing entrepreneurs in our welcoming city. 

My parents are both entrepreneurs, so I saw all the benefits and hardships first-hand very early on. I love the flexible work hours when it comes to work-life balance, but I also know how that scale can tip dramatically the other way whenever things at work get stressful. Ultimately, this is a project that I can feel very fulfilled working on after a long 9-5 at my day job.

No matter what, you’re your own boss, and every dime you make goes towards your own future.

My husband and parents have been incredibly supportive. My friends have been amazing cheerleaders. Other entrepreneurs are now my close confidants and trusted advisors. Together they have pushed me out of my comfort zone in ways I couldn’t have imagined within such a short period of time. People I’ve met have generously introduced me to their connections in the industry, openly rave about my products, and think of me whenever opportunities arise.

I hope to be able to do the same for them and pay it forward.

I have connected with so many amazing #BossBabes over the past 13 weeks, and I cannot wait to meet more. There are so many more exciting events and launches to come, and I am hoping to collaborate with even more local #YEGBOSSBABES! 

Fanny Kung | FK*IT Lashes
instagram.com/fkitlashes

MAD LOVE MONDAY | Stephanie Truong

Have you ever wondered where all the great spots are when it comes to food in Edmonton? Or have you ever been amazed by all the food spots that actually exists here and you didn’t realize it until you saw a post on well, Instagram?

The social media is a wonderful thing. Overtime the world of marketing has evolved and eventually we were all introduced to Influencer Marketing. Influencers range from different niches to help raise brand awareness locally, nationally or globally. Today, we have Stephanie Truong, an Edmonton based foodie influencer who shares her love for food has given us a glimpse of her story.

Stephanie Truong runs an Edmonton-based food blog where she reviews different restaurants and eateries throughout the city. Her blog name was originally The YEG Foodie but she wanted a name that defined her more which is why she rebranded a few years ago. 

Photography by: Galeevant Social

Why Did You Start Food Blogging

I’ve been asked quite a few times about why I started blogging. My love of food stems from my childhood. As a child, I grew up in an Asian household where I mainly ate Asian food, particularly Vietnamese food. When I grew older, I yearned for non-Asian food. During high school, I finally had the freedom to go out to eat and try new foods. This freedom took me to different restaurants in Edmonton where I tasted food that was never cooked at home.

Although I still ate home-cooked food, I started to explore restaurants beyond the chains and franchises. My friends would see my food photos on social media then ask me for my opinion. This is when I was inspired to create a food blog - to share my tastes and thoughts to those who didn’t know me personally. Today, I still love to try out new cuisines but I will always appreciate the home-cooked Vietnamese dishes that my mom makes for me. 

What Exactly Do You Blog About?

I mainly blog about places in Edmonton but I have written about other countries I’ve traveled to. My blog is more of a side hobby or a side hustle, as I like to call it. I would love to become a full-time blogger one day but it is not a priority for myself at the moment. I spend most of my work time doing social media marketing, particularly at North America’s largest mall.

Many have asked me - how do you balance working and blogging? For me, I believe that you should leave work at work. Once I leave my workplace, I focus on other priorities which would be gathering content (eating) and creating content (on my blog & social media). Time management and prioritization is a big part of maintaining a blog.

I like to think that what started out as a blog has turned into a personal brand for me. 

What Advice Do You Have For Anyone Interested In Wanting To Start a Food Blog or Become A Food Influencer?

If you want to become a food blogger or a food influencer, you need to genuinely LOVE food. For me, that’s the most important thing as that will be reflected in your work and be your motivation. My love of food drove me to eat at different restaurants, not the same place over and over again. My love of food was the reason why people started asking me for my opinion on a restaurant instead of looking up a Google Review.

My love of food is why I still write about it to this day. 

Starting a food blog is not hard and doesn’t require any money but takes time and effort. There are many free blogging platforms nowadays: Blogger, Wordpress, Squarespace, Wix. Once you’ve chosen a platform, you will need content to write about. Obviously, this means that you’ll have to go to restaurants to take photos of the food/interior and share your opinion about it. Don’t worry about having any following at the beginning, everyone starts off at the same place.

Photography by: Galeevant Social

As you start blogging more and more & posting food photos on social media, you’ll begin to build a brand or name for yourself. Make sure that you’re consistent and that your personality is showcased. Lastly, never feel embarrassed or ashamed for taking photos of the food before you eat it. It also helps if you eat with people that don’t mind having cold food! 

You can easily catch Stephanie hopping from one food spot to the next on her Instagram or Facebook. She’s always open to DMs for anyone who has further questions about food blogging or suggestions on where to eat!

Stephanie Truong ! MS. HANGRY FOODIE
instagram.com/mshangryfoodie
facebook.com/mshangryfoodie

MAD LOVE MONDAY | Sharon Mellott

My name is Sharon and I’m the proud owner of a photo booth company called fotobüth. My journey to becoming the owner of a photo booth business is different than most. To be honest, it wasn’t something I set out to do or even considered looking into.

A friend of mine originally owned fotobüth and was running it as a side hustle. Her primary business was growing and she simply didn’t have the time to continue to invest in fotobüth and give it the love it needed to grow. I initially looked into it out of pure curiosity, but the more questions I asked the more interested I became.

Photography by Nicole Constante

In June of 2018 I purchased fotobüth and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!

When I first took over fotobüth I was pretty nervous. I knew very little about the industry, but knew enough to know I was entering a competitive market. I wouldn’t consider myself to be computer savvy either, so to say I was overwhelmed by all of the cords and technology to make this baby run smoothly was an understatement! I have to be able to set this up how fast… and in the dark? What if something goes wrong? I spent hours in the basement practicing how to quickly set-up the booth and how to take it down so I’d be able to do it at an event without being stressed.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned in the past year is you need to believe in yourself and in your product.

Otherwise, how can you expect other people to? I’m also the owner of an Interior Design company called Weaver Design Inc.. I may not of had any experience in the photo booth industry when I first purchased it, but I already had the skills to run a business. Although fotobüth is currently a side business for me, it has grown to be so much more than JUST a side hustle. My passion for this industry has evolved over the past year and I’m always anxiously waiting for the next event. I enjoy meeting new people and I’m excited for the potential this company has to grow. My favorite part has been customizing the photo booth to make it my own. I’m always trying to think of new things I can add-on to make fotobüth stand-out against my competitors in this ever-evolving industry.

Running a business certainly comes with its challenges and is not for the faint of heart – the hustle is real folks! I’ve contemplated giving up more often than not, which is why I feel it’s so important to surround yourself with people that will continue to uplift you. Sometimes the only way to push through the difficult times is to have a little faith and to keep putting one foot in front of the other. If it was easy, everyone would do it! At the end of the day, it all comes down to the fact that I love what I do. Watching people come together and get outside of their comfort zone, share some laughs makes all of those struggles worth it. There is no greater gift.

One thing I love about being a business owner is that you are in control and there really is no limit as to how far you can take it.

There is something so empowering in knowing that you’ve created something that is 100% your own and watching a business grow is the most rewarding thing I can think of. There are no words. Being an entrepreneur has really pushed me to live outside of my own comfort zone and to embrace the discomfort in the unknown.

I’m so glad I found the YEGBOSSBABES community. It can be challenging to find a mentor in your industry or even someone to talk to that can relate to the struggles that come with being a business owner. I cannot say enough about how fantastic it is to have a community of strong, like-minded entrepreneurs to share experiences with. There is so much we can learn from each other!

Sharon Mellott | fotobüth
instagram.com/fotobuthyeg
facebook.com/fotobuthyeg/