This year, we chatted with some badass Canadian women about their careers and finances, and they gave us the inside scoop on how they do what they do. From entrepreneurs to creatives, these women handled everything that this unpredictable year threw at them, and taught us all some valuable lessons along the way.
These women opened up about their work and life goals, as well as their relationships with money, sharing their learnings and helpful nuggets of wisdom. These are the most inspiring Canadian women of 2021.
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Interior designer Tiffany Piotrowski
As an interior designer, Tiffany has always had a passion for making things beautiful. Before the pandemic hit, she launched her own design firm and has been running things successfully ever since, transforming homes and forming special bonds with her clients. Next up, she’ll be expanding her services to cottage country.
Want more? Read Tiffany’s full story here.
Popcorn entrepreneur Emily O’Brien
Emily is proof that there is power in popcorn. After spending time in prison where she was introduced to diverse recipes from different cultures, she decided to launch a popcorn business that gives back to the community. Her business helps to support other ex-convicts by giving them a second chance.
Read Emily’s full story here.
Career coach Lauren Morrison
Quitting your job, selling your house and moving to a different country is no easy feat, but it’s one that Lauren pulled off pretty seamlessly. Now she’s working as a career performance coach for women of colour, helping others to figure out their hustle and follow their dreams, while also creating content online with her sister.
Read Lauren’s full story here.
ER nurse Reumah Parmanand
For healthcare workers, the pandemic was one of the most challenging and stressful times they’d ever endured. ER nurse Reumah discovered this first hand, as she dealt with scared patients, 12-hour shifts and burnout. However, her passion for the job and caring for others managed to sustain her, and she shared her advice for others entering the field.
Read Reumah’s story here.
Wellness entrepreneur Shanelle McKenzie
When it comes to health and wellness, Shanelle knows it takes a village. McKenzie co-founded The Villij, a wellness hub for women of colour that offers everything from yoga to expertise from therapists, wellness practitioners and finance coaches.
Read Shanelle’s story here.
Filmmaker and photographer Teaunna Gray
Balancing multiple interests can be tricky, but creative Teaunna makes it look easy, juggling her time as a freelance filmmaker, photographer and owner of two business ventures, Sunday Afternoon and Of Sorts Studio. She gets real about creating space to focus on different interests.
Read Teaunna’s story here.
Boutique owner Lisa Felepchuk
Lisa quit her 9-5 job to pack up her life and start living in a van. Now, she does content marketing, writing and owns a vintage housewares boutique, Vintage Fuze.
Read Lisa’s story here.
Cannabis entrepreneur April Pride
The cannabis industry is a pretty male-dominated space, which is why entrepreneur April wants to empower women of colour by removing barriers to create more financial opportunities. By investing in women of colour-owned businesses in the cannabis industry, April is striving to create change. She also has her own podcast.
Read April’s story here.
An (anonymous) Ontario teacher
Teachers have had to stress about the safety of themselves and their students throughout the pandemic, and this anonymous teacher opens up about how that impacted her while doing her job. She also unpacks lesser-known facts about the profession, discusses the hours outside of the classroom that go into teaching, and how she budgets.
Read her story here.
