Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be a woman. I recently realized that the past 18 months is the longest stretch of time I’ve spent single since I was a teenager. I’m OK with that. In fact, I’m kind of enjoying (re)creating my own life on my own terms, even if it can get complicated with a 12-year-old in tow.
As a woman, I know how lucky I am. I live in Canada, where my rights are well-protected. I managed to dig myself out from a suffocating common-law relationship with my dignity and bank account relatively intact. I’m surrounded by friends who check in to make sure I’m OK, make me laugh, and hold me accountable. I’m well-educated and have a job that I love.
International Women’s Day got me thinking about all the fantastic women I’ve interviewed this year….
So, in honour of International Women’s Day 2018, I’d like to celebrate three women who I had the privilege of interviewing over the past year. Each left their mark on me for different reasons.
Phuong Pham – Owner, Fantastic Nails & Spa
I owe Phuong Pham an apology. I mis-spelled her first name throughout my story, and my editor didn’t catch the slip. Although I’m sure she noticed it, Phuong didn’t point out my mistake – even though it’s a cardinal sin for a journalist. (It was a first for me, but something that I am sure happens to everyone eventually!)
That’s just the kind of warm-hearted woman behind Fantastic Nails & Spa, one of London’s most successful nail salons.
Puong Pham (l), believes that every business can make a difference in the community. (Photo: Facebook)
If you think Phuong is running a small business, think again. Without divulging any numbers, I can say that this well-run salon and spa is undoubtedly one of the most successful businesses I wrote about last year.
Phuong is also a Buddhist, and it was her attitude towards money that impressed me the most.
If you read my story, you’ll learn that she came from very humble beginnings and arrived in Canada as a refugee with no formal education. So it would be understandable if Phuong was driven to make money for money’s sake.
Instead, she is using her hard work and good fortune to help improve the lives of others.
In fact, Phuong didn’t want my story to focus on the success of her salon, but rather on how it has enabled her to support many charitable initiatives – both here in Canada and in her native Vietnam. She hoped it would inspire other independent business owners to consider the good they could do in the world.
Something to think about this month as women around the world #PressForProgress.
You can read my story about Puong Pham here.
Stephanie Ciccarelli – Founder & Chief Brand Officer, Voices.com
As a former classical musician, how could I not love interviewing Stephanie Ciccarelli? She graduated with a Bachelor of Musical Arts from Western University in 2006, where she studied voice.
Stephanie Ciccarelli is a music grad turned entrepreneur. (Photo: Facebook)
Today, she and her husband run Voices.com – one of the world’s largest on-line marketplaces for voice-over talent. It’s a seriously big business, and only getting bigger.
I interviewed Stephanie about the launch of her new podcast, Sound Stories. Targeted towards the demand side of their business, Sound Stories features conversations with creative professionals speaking on a wide variety of topics. If you are in any kind of creative field, you should definitely check it out here.
Stephanie is also the mother of three young children. We did our interview at 7:30 in the morning at the Voices.com head office in downtown London. She had to catch a flight to New York and was already dressed for business with her carry-on packed and read to go. She’s another smart and ambitious woman who somehow juggles the demands of working with her husband, motherhood, and a big career, with grace, humour, and style.
You can read my story about Stephanie Ciccarelli’s Voices.com Sound Stories podcast here.
Jo-Ann Fisher – Founder, Hangar9
You wouldn’t think that women who call places like Toronto, Washington D.C. and New York City home would turn to a London, Ontario-based clothing boutique for fashion and styling advice. But that’s the kind of loyal clientele that Jo-Ann Fisher has built over 30 years at the helm of Hangar9.
Jo-Ann Fisher has been dressing women from Toronto to New York for more than 30 years. (Photo: Facebook)
While many independent retailers are crumbling under the weight of online shopping, Hangar9 is expanding, both in physical size and scope. What’s more, three out of Jo-Ann’s four daughters are actively involved in the company – and they’ll be taking over the reigns when Jo-Ann retires from the business side of her independent clothing store later this spring.
Jo-Ann doesn’t have a business degree, a diploma in fashion merchandising, or a family connection to the industry. She grew up on a farm and stumbled into the business through Mary Kay Cosmetics when she was approached to become a consultant at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto.
What she does have is a strong work ethic, an engaging personality, a keen eye for fashion, and a genuine desire to help her clients look and feel their best. Her nine grandchildren are blessed to have a granny with so much style, energy, and zest for life. They may even have a hard time keeping up with her!
She’s setting a great example for the next generation of women who dare to dream big and want to succeed in life and business without compromising their vision and integrity.
You can read my cover story on Jo-Ann Fisher and the next chapter for Hangar9 here.
Happy International Women’s Day 2018 to all the fabulous women I know, and to the men who love and support them….and I wonder who I’ll be writing about next year?
Nicole Laidler is a freelance journalist, copywriter and word strategist based in London, Ontario. She loves helping people grow their success, one word at a time. See what else she’s been writing at spilledink.ca
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