The Brand is Female

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300

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Hosted by Eva Hartling, The Brand is Female Podcast delves into the narratives of women entrepreneurs, leaders, and trailblazers redefining limits within their respective fields. Our featured guests unveil their unique business odysseys and personal encounters with each episode, igniting inspiration for fellow women as they navigate their journeys toward advancement and achievement. Presented by TD Women in Enterprise.

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August 6, 2026Episode 2032 min

Our best episodes from 2026: Navigating power, impact, and a decade in politics as a woman, with Mélanie Joly

As we get ready for a new season launching this September, we are re-airing some of our (and your) favourite episodes of 2026. This week: Canadian Industry Minister Mélanie Joly. Mélanie Joly has held some of the most demanding roles in Canadian federal politics — from Minister of Canadian Heritage to Minister of Foreign Affairs to her current role as Minister of Industry. But before any of that, she was a 34-year-old who founded her own political party and ran for mayor of Montreal. That gutsy move set the tone for everything that followed. In this episode, we talk about what power actually means when you're someone who thinks more about impact than authority. We get into the realities of being a woman in politics today — why it's arguably harder now than it was ten years ago, the role social media plays in that, and the very real mental load of maintaining a public identity while protecting your private self. We also talk about imposter syndrome, why women need to be asked six times on average before agreeing to run for office, and what it takes to back yourself when there are no role models who look or sound like you. Mélanie is candid, sharp, and genuinely thoughtful about where we are right now — and what it'll take to keep moving forward. This one's worth your full attention. This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/wie // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

July 3, 2026Episode 1956 min

What does it take to become the first? With Concordia University Chancellor Dr. Gina Cody

What does it take to become the first? In this bonus live episode of The Brand is Female, Eva Hartling sits down with Dr. Gina Cody, engineer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, Chancellor of Concordia University, and the first woman in Canada to earn a PhD in Building Engineering. Recorded live at the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science, this conversation traces Dr. Cody's remarkable journey from arriving in Canada from Iran with just $2,000 to building one of the country's leading engineering firms and becoming one of Canada's most influential champions for women in STEM. But this episode is about much more than career milestones. Dr. Cody reflects on the mentors who changed her life, why kindness is one of the most powerful leadership skills, how she overcame fear and self-doubt, and why being "the only woman in the room" became an advantage rather than a limitation. She also shares her philosophy on leadership, lifelong learning, balancing ambition with family, and the importance of giving back once you've achieved success. Whether you're an engineer, entrepreneur, student, or leader, this conversation offers timeless lessons on courage, resilience, generosity, and building a career with purpose. In this episode, you'll learn: -Why courage isn't the absence of fear—it's acting despite it. -How to turn obstacles into opportunities. -The leadership power of listening, humility, and kindness. -Why women belong at the forefront of engineering and innovation. -How Dr. Cody defines success after a lifetime of achievement. Today’s episode is part of a mini-series highlighting the journeys of inspiring women in engineering, presented by Gestion FÉRIQUE and Services d'investissement FÉRIQUE. Visit ferique.com for more! Follow The Brand is Female on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

June 30, 2026Episode 1852 min

Purpose and profit can coexist, live with Carla Guerrera and Kirsten Toppang Telford

Purpose and profit are often framed as competing priorities. But what if the most successful businesses are built by refusing to choose between them? Recorded live in Vancouver last week during The Brand is Female Conversations Series, this episode brings together two leaders who are redefining what entrepreneurship can accomplish. Carla Guerrera, Founder and CEO of Purpose Driven Development, is transforming how we think about housing by creating communities designed around inclusion, affordability, and long-term social impact. Kirsten Koppang Telford, CEO of The Forum, has spent her career helping entrepreneurs harness innovation to solve meaningful problems and now leads one of Canada's most influential organizations supporting women entrepreneurs. Together, they explore what purpose-driven leadership actually looks like in practice: making difficult decisions, resisting short-term thinking, building profitable businesses without compromising values, and challenging the systems that continue to underestimate women founders. The conversation also examines the powerful links between housing, entrepreneurship, economic opportunity, and community building, and why supporting women entrepreneurs isn't simply an equity issue, but one of Canada's greatest economic opportunities. Whether you're building a company, leading a team, or simply rethinking the kind of impact you want your work to have, this conversation offers an inspiring reminder that purpose and profit don't just coexist—they can reinforce one another. This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

June 4, 2026Episode 1743 min

Women and money, with Trauma of Money's Chantel Chapman

In one of our favourite episodes of the season, Eva Hartling speaks with Chantel Chapman, founder of the Trauma of Money Institute , to explore the deeper forces that shape our relationship with money. After starting her career in finance and working as a financial literacy educator, Chantel realized that knowledge alone doesn’t always translate into healthy financial behaviour. Her work now sits at the intersection of finance, psychology, and trauma-informed practice, helping individuals and institutions better understand the emotional dynamics behind financial decision-making. In this conversation, Eva and Chantel discuss why many women struggle with confidence around money, how patterns like underearning and overgiving take root, and how women entrepreneurs can begin to build a healthier, more empowered relationship with their finances. Order Chantel’s book, “The Trauma of Money: Mapping Compassionate Pathways to Healing Financial Trauma and Disempowering Financial Shame”. This conversation originally aired in March. This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

May 28, 2026Episode 1643 min

Health first, with Rawcology Founders Megan & Tara Tomulka

What does it really take to scale a food brand when your standards make everything harder? In this re-aired episode, Eva sits down with Tara and Megan, the founders behind Canadian functional food company Rawcology. What started in a family kitchen with a dehydrator and a mission to remove inflammatory ingredients from everyday snacks has grown into a nationally distributed brand now carried by retailers including Whole Foods, Bulk Barn and Costco. But growth didn’t follow the typical startup playbook. They chose to self-manufacture instead of co-packing, prioritized ingredient integrity over margins, and navigated fundraising as a women-led company in a category dominated by massive incumbents. They share the realities behind building a CPG business — the economics of distribution, why the system favours cheap food, the bias they encountered raising capital, and how staying close to customers shaped their product strategy. This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, resilience, and defining success on your own terms when your values come first. This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

May 8, 2026Episode 151 hr 0 min

Why longevity is the new luxury, with Ecksand's Erica Bianchini

What does it take to break into one of the most closed, traditional industries in the world—and do it on your own terms? In this episode, host Eva Hartling sits down with Erica Bianchini, co-founder and creative director of Ecksand, to unpack how she built a fine jewelry brand from scratch—without legacy, without outside investment, and without compromising on values. What started in Montreal as a bootstrapped venture is now a globally recognized brand, worn by women like Meghan Markle, Kourtney Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, and Dove Cameron—and entering its next phase of growth with its first U.S. boutique set to open this year. From knocking on doors in her early twenties to pitching the (then radical) idea of selling fine jewelry online, Erica shares the realities behind building a luxury brand the hard way: reinvesting every dollar, choosing craftsmanship over scale, and staying fiercely independent. The conversation explores: Why sustainability, for Ecksand, was never a marketing angle—but a design principle How creativity, storytelling, and discipline shape timeless design The tension between growth and control—and why she chose to stay independent What it really means to build a modern luxury brand in today’s market This is a conversation about conviction, patience, and building something that lasts—in every sense of the word. This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/wie // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

April 29, 2026Episode 1436 min

More than a game: building culture, leadership, and the future of women’s rugby, with head coach Jocelyn Barrieau

At a time when women’s sports are reaching new heights, Canada’s women’s rugby program is emerging as one of the most compelling stories in the game. In this episode, Eva Hartling sits down with Jocelyn Barrieau, head coach of Canada’s women’s rugby sevens team, to explore the evolution of the sport — from limited opportunities to Olympic podiums and World Cup finals. Together, they unpack what it takes to build a high-performance culture rooted in trust, psychological safety, and a clear sense of purpose. Jocelyn shares her leadership philosophy — grounded in passion, pride, and love — and reflects on the role of visibility, media access, and athlete storytelling in driving the sport forward. The conversation also touches on funding realities, the need for stronger commercial partnerships, and why true progress will depend on greater representation in decision-making roles. A conversation about sport, leadership, and the systems we need to build to sustain women’s success — on and off the field. This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/wie // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

April 29, 2026Episode 1348 min

From doubt to orbit: what it really takes to turn ambition into action, with astronaut Aisha Bowe

Former NASA rocket scientist, entrepreneur, and citizen astronaut Aisha Bowe has built a career defined by bold decisions—and even bolder execution. She’s also, as you’ll hear, not opposed to naming a few favourite [fictional] aliens along the way. From discovering her passion for math in community college to working at NASA, founding two companies, raising venture capital in a system where fewer than 2% of women reach that threshold, and ultimately funding her own journey to space aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard, Aisha’s path is anything but conventional. In this episode, we talk about what it really takes to bet on yourself. Aisha opens up about overcoming self-doubt, navigating environments where she wasn’t expected to succeed, and why she believes imposter syndrome is often misplaced. She shares her perspective on building companies with purpose, challenging broken systems—from venture capital to education—and creating access for the next generation through her edtech platform. We also explore her journey to space—not just as a personal milestone, but as a mission to expand representation and visibility in STEM. For Aisha, space is not just about exploration; it’s about who gets to be seen there, and what that unlocks for others. At the end of the episode, Selwa Rafi, founder of Canadian aerospace company KEPLR Intelligence, joins the conversation to bring a complementary perspective on leadership, entrepreneurship, and the future of the space industry. A conversation about ambition, resilience—and yes, a few unexpected favourites from beyond our planet. Today’s episode is part of a mini-series highlighting the journeys of inspiring women in engineering, presented by Gestion FÉRIQUE and Services d'investissement FÉRIQUE. Visit ferique.com for more! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

April 16, 2026Episode 1239 min

More than a last name: what it really takes to carve your own path in the trades, with Sherry Holmes

Sherry Holmes grew up on construction sites with her dad, Mike Holmes — one of Canada's most recognized names in the trades. But becoming a builder in her own right wasn't a given. In fact, she fought it for years. In this episode, Sherry opens up about the winding road that led her to construction, including a brain tumour diagnosis at 19 that changed her perspective on everything, the moment she realized she wanted to earn her place on site — not inherit it, and what it's really like to show up as the only woman in the room, day after day. We also get into the practical, often overlooked barriers that still keep women out of the trades: gear that wasn't designed for a woman's body, safety harnesses that don't fit, work boots that don't come in your size, and yes — the porta-potty problem nobody talks about. Sherry is funny, grounded, and refreshingly honest about what she still doesn't know. She's also one of the most compelling examples of what representation in non-traditional industries can actually look like in practice. If you're thinking about a career in the trades, or you just want to hear from a woman who built her confidence one job site at a time — this one's for you. This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/wie // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

March 31, 2026Episode 1132 min

Aging on your own terms: the truth about medical aesthetics, skin health, and longevity, with Dr. Nathalie Gabra

Dr. Nathalie Gabra is an otolaryngologist, head and neck surgeon, and Dermapure practitioner who brings a deeply medical lens to aesthetic medicine. But before the treatments and the protocols, she grew up watching her father and grandfather operate, and knew from a young age that surgery was her path. That foundation shapes everything about how she practices today. In this episode, airing on the last day of Women’s Month, we talk about what responsible aesthetic medicine actually looks like from the inside, and why the goal has never been to change your face but to help you look as good as you feel. We get into the shift happening around how women approach aging, why the so-called expiry date is finally losing its grip, and the very real stigma that still follows women who choose to invest in their appearance. We also talk about where skincare ends and medical aesthetics begins, what a long-term treatment plan looks like versus a one-stop-shop mentality, and why sunscreen is still the most underrated tool in any routine. Dr. Gabra is thoughtful, precise, and refreshingly honest about what's worth it and what isn't. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the options, or unsure whether any of this is for you, this conversation is a good place to start. This episode is presented by Dermapure. Visit https://www.dermapure.com/en/offers/360-consultation/ to book a free skin consultation today at one of their clinics across Canada! This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Canada Women in Enterprise. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Please find out how you can benefit from their support! Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com // TD Women in Enterprise: td.com/wie // Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale