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Discover the remarkable stories behind successful startups on 'How I Became...'. Join me, Kelly Yefet, as we dive into the journeys of extraordinary founders, marketers, investors, and industry experts. Uncover the breakthrough moments, challenges, and strategies that propelled their ventures to greatness. Each episode delivers inspiring narratives and practical insights for entrepreneurs of all stages. Get ready to be captivated by the untold tales of innovation, resilience, and triumph in ...
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In this episode of How I Became, I spoke to Laura Gabor. She is the co-founder & COO at ecologicca, the founder of What in the Tech, and avid investor and loves community building. We discuss her fundraising experiences in the US and how it compares in Canada, noting differences in risk tolerance and capital availability. She shares her journey wit…
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"You determine what your life is. Everyone is going to be dealt bad cards. It's your choice on how you handle those." Anjali, co-founder of AVO, shares her journey in entrepreneurship and the founding of AVO, a copy trading platform for cryptocurrencies. She discusses the importance of financial literacy and how her upbringing and parents' emphasis…
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Being the dumbest person in the room can drive success; Feeling Dumb and facing failures; How growing up with a mom with schizophrenia shapes your world; Taking Action and Tying Value to Purpose; Bootstrapping vs VC and staying true to your north star; These are just a few themes of this episode. Kaaveh shares his journey from Canada to LA and his …
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Drew Train set up shop as Co-Founder and President of OBERLAND, the agency for purpose-driven brands, with Bill Oberlander in May of 2014. Previously, Drew started the social-good practice at J. Walter Thompson New York, called JWT Ethos. He now frames the go-to-market approach for OBERLAND and runs the business with purpose-driven marketing at the…
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Brett Willms shares his journey as an entrepreneur, starting from a young age when he played a game with his mom to imagine things that should be there in the environment. His foray into problem identification. He developed a practice of coming up with ideas to make the world better, which became a formative practice. At Google, he learned about st…
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From Risk-Averse to Founder: Emilie's Career Journey The Importance of Customer Discovery Meet Emilie, CEO & Founder of Turbine. In this episode Emilie discusses her career journey and how she became a founder despite being risk-averse. She talks about her experience with Venture for America and how it helped her get into startups. She also shares …
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Naman Budhdeo, General Partner at Antler, shares his entrepreneurial journey and startup success. Growing up around two entrepreneurs, Naman was inspired to become an entrepreneur himself. His first four businesses were in the travel space, where he identified gaps in the market and built innovative solutions. He has had a fascinating journey, from…
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Megan Rafuse, the CEO and Co-Founder of Shift Collab, is growing Canada’s largest online mental health practice that prides itself on being female and clinician-owned. Megan is an innovator in the mental health space and a winner of the 2023 Top 100 Most powerful women in the women’s executive network. With over 13 years of experience as a register…
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Kristen Gale shares her journey of starting and growing The Ten Spot, a trailblazing beauty bar chain. She talks about her inspiration for the business and how she combined elements of nail bars and high-end spas to create a unique experience. We discuss the challenges Kristen faced and the lessons learned along the way. Why she decided to transiti…
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Meet the powerhouse, Fatima Zaidi, the founder and CEO of Quill Inc a full-service podcasting hosting platform and production agency that helps brands launch and amplify their voices through the power of podcasting. Fatima's vision and leadership have not only propelled her company to the forefront of the industry but have also earned her a spot in…
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"I am your creator" Chris Carter, the executive director of the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Schulich School of Business, shares his journey and the growth of Schulich Startup. He emphasizes the importance of embracing challenges and the myth that entrepreneurs need to dispel. Chris also discusses the impact of selling a business an…
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Alan Lau, the co-founder of Wattpad, lead one of Canada's largest tech exits to Naver at $660M. She shares his journey as a recovering CEO and his transition to post-CEO life. He discusses the challenges and stress of being a CEO and the need for recovery. Alan also reflects on his decision to start his new venture, Too Small Fish Ventures, and the…
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🎙️ Empowering Entrepreneurs: Erica Pearson, Founder of Vacation Fund 🌍✈️ Erica Pearson, the visionary behind Vacation Fund, shared her journey - her entrepreneurial spirit, resilience, and the pursuit of a balanced life. Originally from the world of Capital Markets, Erica transitioned into the competitive arena of entrepreneurship, founding Vacatio…
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🎙️ Empowering Creators: Vitalii Dodonov, Co-Founder of Stan 🚀 Today, we're thrilled to welcome Vitalii Dodonov, the Co-Founder and Head of Engineering at Stan, to our podcast. Originally hailing from Russia, Vitalii's journey led him to Canada in 2014, where he brought his wealth of expertise from renowned companies like Deloitte and eBay into the …
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🎙️"Entrepreneurship is contagious" - Erin Bury, Founder of Willful Erin Bury, the accomplished female founder and co-founder of Willful, an innovative online platform revolutionizing estate planning in Canada. Erin, a mom of two, shares her inspiring transition from a career person with 15 years of experience in startups and small businesses to a d…
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Embark on a captivating journey with Jaclyn Chen, the visionary co-founder and CEO behind Benepass, as she shares her story on the latest episode of the 'How I Became' podcast! Meet the trailblazer leading a revolution in flexible benefits, where Benepass ingeniously applies the pre-tax facet of health savings accounts (HSA) to lifestyle perks—all …
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🎙️ Empowering Wardrobes: The Journey of Marley Alles, Solo Founder of Rax 👗 This on hits close to home. I had the privilege of mentoring Marley during her early days, guiding her through the ideation phase of Rax via an incubator rax was part of. Witness the evolution of an idea into a thriving business and gain insights into the journey of an entr…
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🎙️ Turning Passion into Canada's Leading IAT Business: The Giancarlo Story 🌿 In our latest episode, I had the pleasure of hosting Giancarlo, who used his friends love for tropical plants as an opportunity for an incredible business. This is not just a story of plants; it's a tale of questioning convention, disrupting a static industry, and defying …
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🎙️ From Solving a Problem to Revolutionizing Creator Marketing: A Conversation with Bryan Gold 🚀 In our latest episode of "How I Became," I had the privilege of sitting down with Bryan Gold, the Co-Founder and CEO of #Paid. #Paid is a game-changing creator marketplace where brands and creators seamlessly connect, collaborate, and measure their crea…
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I had the pleasure of sitting down with Mitch Solway, explore his experience helping startups as a Fractional CMOs. Grappling with significant marketing challenges? Not ready to commit to a full-time VP of Marketing? This conversation is a goldmine of insights ⚱️ Mitch delves into the pivotal moments when marketing evolves into a top priority for a…
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Is your business VC-able? Meet Max Donsky, VC Analyst at IMPRESSIONS Venture. Today, let's talk all things VC (Venture Capital). Max, armed with an MBA from the tech epicenter of the world, Israel, now plays a pivotal role at IMPRESSIONS Ventures, on the hunt for exceptional fintech startups. What struck me most was Max's analogy of a VC partnershi…
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I'm thrilled to introduce our guest, Erica, a true force to be reckoned with in the world of social media and the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) industry. With a staggering 4 million likes on TikTok and a devoted following of 60,000 on LinkedIn, she's a true powerhouse, not only in building her personal brand but also in creating a delicious and hea…
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I'm absolutely thrilled to welcome Dan, the founder and CEO of KOHO, as our special guest on the 'How I Became' podcast. With a remarkable milestone of over 1 million customers and a passionate mission to revolutionize financial outcomes for Canadians 🇨🇦, Dan's personal journey is genuinely inspiring. In this episode, we dive deep into the incredib…
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I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jared, a true entrepreneur at heart and a leading figure in the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) industry. He generously shared his remarkable journey, from spearheading an agency in the CPG space to taking the plunge into starting his own venture. Our conversation was a deep dive into the world of entrepreneurs…
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I spoke with Samia Syed about starting her first business, changing co-founders mid venture, and deciding to move on, feeling disconnected and using it as motivation to learn a new skill, growth mindset. We talked about working in the corporate world, and being a content creator and the frameworks to help her navigate this journey. OUTLINE: Here's …
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