LadiesCorner Magazine Spring 2021 by Ladies Corner Magazine

COVER DRESSES Sara’s Fashion 8882 170 St NW, AB T5T 3J7 West Edmonton Mall www.sarasfashion.ca

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LadiesCorner VISIBILITY

PUBLICITY

INSPIRATION

EMPOWERMENT

FOUNDER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Tee Adeyemo info@lccmediafoundation.ca

EDITORIAL RESIDENT EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mary Thomas

Judith Pila

EDITOR /MARKETING MANAGER James Jarvis

Dickson Maiden Tayo El-nathan

DESIGN MAKE UP ARTIST

DESIGN DIRECTOR

PHOTOGRAPHER

BUSINESS DIRECTOR

Mileydi Cristancho

Tunde Adeyemo

Tope Akindele

Tayo Elnathan

citeayminds@gmail.com

Tayo.Elnathan@lccmediafoundation.ca

THIS BOOK OR PARTS THEREOF MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM, STORED IN A RETRIEVAL SYSTEM, OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM BY ANY MEANS - ELECTRONIC, MECHANICAL, PHOTOCOPY, RECORDING, OR OTHERWISE - WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER. LADIESCORNER CANADA LIMITED. WWW.LADIESCORNER.CA

LadiesCorner.ca – Spring 2021

LADY TEE’S DESK

We are in this together

his pandemic has had a global effect, from severe economic, social, and political, to cultural consequences on human life. Many of us continue to endure a great deal of hardship, stress, and inconvenience. Our message is simple: we hear you, we see you — you are not alone.

The emergence of the pandemic significantly impacted the healthcare system, testing its capabilities and weaknesses, also, affecting the physical and mental health of front-line healthcare workers. With ongoing vaccination efforts across the country, we may well be on

the path to end the scourge of this very nasty disease. In this edition, we celebrate healthcare workers for their dedication and selflessness. We talk to business and political leaders to get their perspective on how they are navigating these trying times. Not forgetting that, this month is women’s month, we are also celebrating our women. We have packaged hope in every page of this magazine, you are holding. We kindly ask that you share this edition with health care workers and the women in your life, as it has been put together with lots of love. We are all in this together!!!

Tee Adeyemo Founder/Editor in Chief Ladiescorner Magazine

Canada

Mileydi Cristancho is a wife, mum, model, certified makeup artist and hair stylist. She graduated from a top cosmetology school in Alberta. Mileydi likes to advocate for noble causes and she is heavily vested in charitable causes across the city. She seeks to empower women by showing them what she can do with her make up brushes. Mileydi has modelled and participated in pageants. Her work as makeup artist and hairstylist has been featured in different prestigious magazines such as Luxia Magazine, The Surreal Magazine and Malvie French Magazine.

Instagram: @bymilady

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8 - Political Exclusive: MAKING A DIFFERENCE A Chat with Heather McPherson, MP for Edmonton Strathcona, New Democratic Party

12 - The Future of ALBERTA CHILDREN’S SERVICES Rakhi Pancholi - MLA EdmontonWhitemud, Official

Opposition for Children’s Services. 16 - Poetry by Halima 17 - Pandemic Firsts by Tayo Elnathan

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19 - Hon. Mary Ng, P.C., M.P., Canada’s Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade 21 - An Inside Look with Dr. Ade Aderibigbe

Canada

24 - The Limelight with Dr Simi Aderibigbe 26 - We are in this Together - Coping With The Scourge of the Pandemic Mary Thomas

33 - Educating Our GENERATION with Therese Djob, CEO FrenchEtVoila 35 - SPARKLING ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Sharon

Rusike’s Story 37 - Personal Development with Emmanuel Oluwatosin

39 45

to Wealth Creation with Colleen Tsikira 46 - Celebrating women internationally

39 - Bricks & Real Estate - A Path

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE Political Exclusive A Chat with Heather McPherson, MP for Edmonton-Strathcona, New Democratic Party I never intended of Canada to go into politics. I knew that I Tell us a little bit about yourself? Strathcona as well. wanted to make was elected to represent the riding of I am a graduate of the a difference, Edmonton-Strathcona in the House University of Alberta with a that I wanted to of Commons of Canada in 2019. I am Masters in Educational Policy help people in currently the NDP critic for International Studies — Theoretical, Cultural, Edmonton and Development, and the Deputy Critic and International Studies in around the world.

for Foreign Affairs, Canadian Heritage, and Women and Gender Equality, and I serve as Deputy House Leader. I am a proud Edmontonian and have lived in Edmonton Strathcona for almost my entire life. My grandfather was one of the infamous McCoy Brothers and both of my parents grew up in my riding of Edmonton-Strathcona. My two children both attend public schools in Edmonton-

Education — with a focus on incorporating Indigenous knowledge in the achievement of sustainable development. Prior to my election to Parliament, I spent more than 20 years working on sustainable development and international cooperation efforts through the non-profit sector, including 10 years as Executive Director of the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation. I worked closely

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Canada

Political Exclusive

with the Canadian and international community, focusing on sustainable development, good governance, and human rights, and I served as a United Nations special delegate. Why politics? I never intended to go into politics. I knew that I wanted to make a difference, that I wanted to help people in Edmonton and around the world. That’s why I worked in the charitable sector as an activist and an advocate. It was a way to improve the lives of women and children all around the world. I was asked many times to put my name forward as a candidate for various elected positions, but it wasn’t until I realized the significant difference I could make by serving in this way; until I realized that I actually had an obligation to do so — as a woman, a mother, and as a progressive Albertan — that I decided to dive in and run for Parliament. Now that I can see the impact of my work, like the $2 billion for safer reopening of schools during

COVID-19, the answer is very clear — because politics matter. How do you combine work, family and kids? It’s not always easy but I have a brilliant and supportive husband

Now that I can see the impact of my work, like the $2 billion for safer reopening of schools during COVID-19, the answer is very clear — because politics matter. and a very engaged family. My kids help too by being flexible and understanding. Sometimes dinner is a bit late but with cooperation and understanding, we’re managing very well. When I’m not working, you’ll find me with my family — my husband, our two children, and our dog — enjoying LadiesCorner.ca – Spring 2021

sports and outdoor activities. I was a competitive swimmer and now I’m a swimming and hockey mom. We enjoy backpacking in the mountains, skiing, kayaking, and other water sports, and lounging around a campfire. As a woman in national politics, do you think all women are represented in Ottawa? Women are underrepresented in politics at all levels in Canada and women of colour, Indigenous women, and women living with disabilities are even more absent from positions of power. Parliament should mirror our Canadian population and that is not the reality. Women don’t just need to be present, they need to be supported to change colonial, misogynistic, and racist structures. What more can we do to give women more access to politics in Canada? We need to make it easier for women to run for office. My party, the NDP, has rules and structures to encourage women to run but not every party does. It costs a lot of

LadiesCorner money to run a campaign and that handicaps women and racialized people, and women in Canada still disproportionately carry the burden of childcare and eldercare. Ensuring that childcare and senior care is affordable, accessible and universal will go a long way to opening the door for more women candidates. What would you like to see in the future for women’s rights? My vision of the future for women is articulated through the sustainable development goals: •• End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. •• Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres,

including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation. •• Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation. •• Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate. •• Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life. •• Ensure universal access to sexu-

al and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences. What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently? What book(s) are you reading now? My kids have me laughing every day. I don’t have a lot of time now, but I am trying to get through the 2021 Canada Reads short-list

Twitter: @HMcPhersonMP

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The Future of ALBERTA CHILDREN’S SERVICES with Rakhi Pancholi - MLA EdmontonWhitemud, Official Opposition for Children’s Services.

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Please tell us a little bit about yourself? y name is Rakhi Pancholi. I’m the MLA for Edmonton-Whitemud and Official Opposition Critic for Children’s Services. I am a child of immigrants to this country, from India and Tanzania. I was born in Ontario but moved to Alberta when I was four years old, I grew up here in the south side of Edmonton, part of which I now represent in the legislature. I attended the University of Alberta for a political science degree and traveled back to Toronto for my law degree, but came back to Edmonton to begin my practice. I practiced law for 13 years, first as a lawyer for the Ministry

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of Education, and then for school boards. I decided to throw my hat in the ring for politics in 2019.

I’d like the Women in Edmonton to know that we recognize how they have been affected by this pandemic, and that I am going to continue to work very, very, hard to represent their views in the legislature and make sure that their concerns are addressed

Canada

Spotlight

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Have you always had an interest in politics? I have always had an interest in politics. I got involved in politics during my undergraduate degree, and I had the experience of watching politics in Alberta in action. I thought maybe one day, that would be something I would do to further my advocacy on issues that I care deeply about, but it wasn’t a plan per se. I certainly thought that I wanted to be doing something to help the world become a better place, and I began that work in law, being a lawyer and developing public policy, which I cared a lot about, and then, politics just seemed to be a logical next step. Do you feel you’re making a difference right now with what you do? Who and what inspires you? I think I’ve been inspired by many people along the way. My decision to

get involved in politics was inspired by watching the leadership of Rachel Notley as premier of Alberta. It was the first time I saw a politician in this province really advocating for issues that I cared deeply about, including childcare, and women’s participation and taking steps against domestic and sexual violence. I was inspired and I saw that she did a very good job of bringing people together on issues and finding reasonable ways to move people forward, so she inspired me to get involved in politics for sure in 2019. What do you do as a Children’s Services Critic? As the Official Opposition Critic for Children’s Services, my job is primarily to look at the choices and the decisions that the government is making around Children’s Services, which includes the very important work of LadiesCorner.ca – Spring 2021

children in care. The other part of the work is childcare. Early learning and childcare are important for children to have the early start in life they need, but also for families to be able to go back to work and participate in the economy, so I ask questions and I listen to stakeholders. I reach out to organizations on these issues, but I also reach out to individuals. It’s a lot of external work of reaching out and taking feedback, and then making my own proposals and recommendations about directions. Does child poverty still exist? Child poverty absolutely exists. Some Albertans might be shocked to find out that it does, but it absolutely does, so our number one priority should be eradicating child poverty. One of the things that inspired me to run for the Alberta NDP in 2019, was that the former NDP government

Canada actually cut child poverty in half in this province during their term, which was remarkable because of course, it was a challenging economic time as it still is now. The way to keep children out of poverty is to support their families, which means making sure their families have access to quality childcare. Have a minimum wage that is closer to a living wage to make sure that they have the support they need. That should be our number one priority. What sort of policies are you working on? One of the things that I’m most proud of since I’ve been elected is

sure that every licensed childcare space in the province is available to parents at $25 per day. That’s really key, because affordability of childcare is one of the biggest barriers for families, which means it keeps a lot of parents and single parents out of work.

that, in October, I helped prepare and release a proposal on early learning and childcare in this province. That proposal sets out a number of key strategies that we believe the government should take to make sure that all children have access to quality, early learning, and affordable childcare. That means, expanding and making

50% of the elected officials in the legislature. In fact, we, under the NDP, have had a gender-balanced cabinet for the first time in Alberta’s history, but that disappeared with the new government under the UCP, and so certainly, I believe it’s very important to have diversity, and let’s begin with women — but I mean, we also need diversity beyond

Do we need more women in politics? Yeah, even before I actually ran for office, how I got involved with politics was trying to encourage more women to run for politics. I mean, the very simple fact of it is that, women make up 50% of our population, but do not and have never made up

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just women, we need people of different ethnic backgrounds, we need Indigenous women, we need gender-diverse people, we need people with disabilities — we need all that reflected in the decision-making around the government tables. That’s a core element of representative democracy. What is your message to women in Edmonton? Well, first of all, I’d like them to know that I see them and that my NDP caucus recognizes how they have been affected by this pandemic, and that I am going to continue to work very, very, hard to represent their views in the legislature and make sure that their concerns are addressed — but I also want women to know that their voices are desperately needed. And so it doesn’t always have to be in politics, obviously — that’s the route I chose — but we know that community change comes in many ways. It comes from, you know, volunteering in your community. It comes from the work you do, it comes from women entrepreneurs and women business owners, and so keep doing that work, but also make sure that you’re organizing and talking to your families and your neighbors and your colleagues about how to make sure that your interests are represented. Lastly, I would say we have a municipal election coming up in a few months, and I say women, we need to get at least 50% of the candidates running to be women and I hope we elect a lot more women to city council in two years — 50% at least of women and in the legislature. That’s my goal.

Twitter: @pancholi_rakhi

ooted

I am rooted in the dreams of my ancestors who belonged to tribes... Sprouted from the idea of family, warmth, prayer and strength

Nurtured by the flowing memories and stories of unity and foundation Tangled in the soil of names and legacies that have come before me. I am rooted in the dreams of my ancestors who belonged to tribes... Bathed in the light of compassion and excellence

Held strong by the wind of resilience and triumph Surrounded by pillars of protection, comfort and prosperity Scarred with the markings of a journey not yet complete. I am rooted in the dreams of my ancestors who belonged to tribes... Stretching out to make new life filled with equality Growing to provide breath and innovation for a better future Colored with the brightness of hope I am rooted in the dreams of my ancestors who belonged to tribes.

Poetry by Halima Born in Edmonton, Halima started writing at 14-yrs-old and always finds inspiration in everything; often pulling from her experience of life and culture. In the last two years she has become a podcaster, being the creator of What’s Your Hustle — a podcast that explores people’s hustles, inspirations and passions. She was selected to be a part of A Woman A Day YEG and Babes In Business YEG. While her experience in writing in-

cludes writing for blogs to interview questions, she prefers writing poetry. Contact info: Halima Hussein email: whatsyourhustlepodcast@gmail.com

IG: @whatsyourhustlepodcast

Canada

MUSINGS FROM AN ONLOOKER by

tayo elnathan

•• In the year 2020, I attended my first virtual wedding. For an African, this is surreal. The only consolation was that the father of the bride was super happy because he got to save a ton of money on reception costs. What happened to all the bridesmaid dresses ordered? •• In the same year, I cooked a lot of food for the Christmas holiday and then there was no one to eat it with. My kids had an eating contest, that eventually led to a farting contest that eventually led to a pepto bismol moment. •• This time last year, when they announced the first shut down, I developed a new and special admiration for teachers. Imagine having to homeschool 3 kids. In September, when they lifted the school ban, I was the first in line to bundle them back to school. To all teachers out there, we salute you. •• Superstore ran out of rice – I knew things were going apocalyptic. •• And the moment that made me shine was when Costco ran out of tissue paper – I was bragging to my kids, I don’t need tissue, I grew up without tissue. I am tough, I am resilient, I don’t need 2 ply tissue! •• I guess the question is how long can I use the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse for my general issues? At this rate, I am blaming the pandemic for global warming. •• When I am tired, and my kids want to play or go to the mall, I tell them it’s Covid. We don’t just play in Covid. •• I also broadened my horizon. I am now an avid K-drama lover. Something about those love stories will get you hooked, if you can get past reading subtitles, South Korea is the shiznit, Can I still say Shiznit? •• Finally, it’s March 2021, are there any more stimulus checks coming? African Center palliatives? My credit card and pantry needs an intense bailout. Or a stimulus package…. I will take either one. LadiesCorner.ca – Spring 2021

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Canada

Promoting

CANADA TO THE WORLD

Getting Ito remember when I first started thinking about running Know: Hon. for public office, I first listed all the reasons why I couldn’t Mary Ng,doP.C., it, but then, I thought about all the people across M.P.Canada who are like me — proud Canadians who were Canada’s born in a different country, and whose families spoke a Minister of language, but never saw themselves reflected in different Small Business, our elected leaders. ExportI firmly believe that we must see it, to be it. To empower Promotion the and next generation of women and girls to live up to their International fullest potential, we must set an example — that, and my Trade passion for public service, is why I chose to run for office.

rom promoting Canada to the world as a great place to do business, to helping our entrepreneurs and businesses grow and access new markets — Minister Ng is focused on helping Canadians succeed. First elected the Member of Parliament for MarkhamThornhill in April 2017, Minister Ng was first appointed to Cabinet in July 2018 as Minister for Small Business and Export Promotion. After being successfully re-elected in October 2019, she became Canada’s Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade. Prior to serving as a Member of Parliament, Minister Ng served as Appointments Director for the Prime Minister, and as Executive Director for the President of Ryerson University where she oversaw the creation of a worldleading business incubator for tech start-ups. Throughout her 20 years of public service, Minister Ng has been a devoted community leader with a focus on creating jobs, fostering entrepreneurship, and empowering small businesses to innovate and grow. Why politics?

As a woman in national politics, do you think women are represented in Ottawa? As Canada’s Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, my job is to support Canadian businesses as they start up, scale up, and access new markets — especially more Indigenous, women, and racialized entrepreneurs. What is your government doing for women? In Canada, advancing women’s economic empowerment is not only the right thing to do — it’s

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necessary for Canada’s success. Since launching it in 2018, our government has invested close to $5 billion in Canada’s first-ever Women Entrepreneurship Strategy. This has been a challenging year that has disproportionately impacted women entrepreneurs and business owners, and we know that women’s empowerment continues to be the way forward. Our government will keep supporting women in a kaleidoscope of ways — from legislating pay equity and universal childcare, to

creating an Action Plan for Women in the Economy and making inclusive investments so women can grow their businesses in Canada and globally. What would be your message to women? To women entrepreneurs, I want you to know that we recognize how hard you are working and we value your innovation as many of you have had to pivot your businesses in the last year. Your contributions are invaluable. As we work to rebuild, we will

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continue to be here to support you to move forward together. We are making inclusive investments to ensure women-owned businesses grow in Canada, and around the world.

Canada

Inside Look

An Inside Look with Dr. Ade Aderibigbe: Family Doctor at Haven Medical Center

What was a typical day like for you before the COVID 19 pandemic, and how has this changed since the pandemic? Pre-COVID typical day involved an early school run, a work day and children’s extracurricular, voluntary activities and some fitness activity somewhere in there. COVID changed it to linear travel to work and home briefly before the kids returned to school. However, it’s pretty much triangular daily, home, school, work and back home. And the triangle has stayed pretty much the same for the last six months except when the kids had a school break.

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How have you kept your family safe? Staying safe has been our paramount goal pretty much like everyone else. We pray for ourselves, family, friends and Edmonton/Alberta in that order. We practice safe hygiene, hand washing, mask use and routine disinfectant use. We have drilled the same protocols into the children and we ensure that a work day means scrubs and all go into the wash ASAP and showers. We endeavour to follow all provincial and national advice on social activities and gathering. We can’t wait for the pandemic to be over to get some semblance of normal back. How has this pandemic changed your life? We miss and appreciate friends, colleagues and family more than ever before. However, our family unit has learnt how to love and appreciate ourselves even more. COVID has in so many ways helped create clarity in what’s most important to us. God, Life and Love , peace and fulfilment, bringing out the best in ourselves. How has this affected you emotionally? Draining, tiring and tough emotionally, but we are determined to

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pass this phase through practising safely and using an evidence-based approach to care. What are your deepest concerns about your life, family and your job right now? Safety is probably the most important thing at present. Keeping my family, friends and community safe and abiding by the advice from the infectious disease and virus experts. Do you feel supported at home and at work? Does that support affect you significantly? Absolutely. My wife has been absolutely great and she is my number one advocate. I am fortunate to work with a great team at the office who make the work a lot easier. What do you do to relax and to stay positive? Does it work? I listen to music, watch soccer, and do light workouts at home. I enjoy playing soccer and volunteer on a few organizations but a lot of that is presently on hold.

Where do you go to find inspiration? Does having faith help? The Word of God as written in the Holy Bible. I read books that address any concern or topic of interest. Knowledge and understanding helps to tackle the issues of Life, Family, Relationships and Work. What would you like to say to those who still say the virus does not exist? It does. Please respect the virus and the advice from the experts. Plan to be vaccinated because it protects you personally and it protects your family. Let’s all do this until we reach herd Immunity. www.HavenMedicalCenter.ca

Twitter: @Docdapsy Facebook: Havenmedical

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The

LIMELIGHT with DrSimi I am Dr. Simisola Aderibigbe (a.k.a. Dr Simi), I was born in Lagos, Nigeria, about forty-plus years ago to a polygamous family of five children. I am the fourth child. I attended St Saviours School (Elementary) and Queens College (Jr/ High) both in Lagos. My tertiary education was at the University of Ibadan in Oyo State. While at university, I met my significant other, Dr. Ade Aderibigbe. We got married a few years after completing our tertiary education and today we are blessed with two wonderful children — a 13-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy. Why dentistry? Did you choose dentistry, or did it choose you? (Laughs) I love how you framed the later part of this question…. Did dentistry choose me? In Nigeria, at the time I was growing up, exposure to dentistry was very limited. Thus, dentistry was often an alternate career choice to people who wanted to go for medicine. I am no exception to that cohort. At the time I was preparing for university, I lost my father who was the closest person to me in the world and it was like my world came crashing down at the time. At the same time, I had ahead of me the big task of choosing what university I wanted to attend and what course I wanted to study. I always knew I wanted to study medicine but I also wanted to explore a University outside of my home city, Lagos, hence I applied to the University of Ibadan (UI). Little did I know that acceptance into University was not necessarily based on merit only, especially when applying outside of one’s city.

University registration began at UI and I remember my friends telling me, school had started and wondering what was happening to my university acceptance letter? By the time I went to UI to inquire about my admission based on my scores, it was a bit too late to be offered acceptance into the medical school, however I got offered dentistry and that is exactly how dentistry chose me and I grew to love it. Absolutely, no regrets today being a dentist and if I were to choose again, I would choose dentistry as my career choice. How can we improve our smile? We improve our smile by having good oral hygiene and homecare regimen, limiting intake of foods and drinks that cause staining (tea, coffee, red wines), and sugary foods that cause cavities. Giving up tobacco products, recrea tional drugs — they cause damage to the teeth.

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Canada Attending dental checkups regu larly. We may recommend specific cos metic or orthodontic dental treat ments to improve your smile on an individual basis. What should our oral hygiene regimen be? Oral hygiene regimen is tailored to individual needs, however for most people we recommend: Brushing twice daily, in the morning and last thing at night before you get into bed using a toothbrush and any fluoridated toothpaste of your choice. You can use any toothbrush you find comfortable either the manual or electrical types. Bristles should be soft-to-medium. Please avoid hard bristle brushes as they do more damage than good. Flossing at least once daily, string floss or handheld flossers will do. For some people we recommend interdental brushes as floss does not effectively clean the spaces between their teeth. Mouth washes are a good adjunct to mechanical cleaning as it helps reduce plaque load in the mouth and it also freshens the breath, especially in this pandemic when we are always masked up. How often should we have dental checkups and cleaning? We should have our dental exam once a year and hygiene/cleaning at least twice yearly. In some instances, we offer 3-4 monthly hygiene/ cleaning if there is a need for it. If you require more than twice yearly cleanings, your dentist or hygienist will recommend it to you. What are your payment and financing options? We accept various payments sys tems and direct bill insurance plans. We accept all forms of payment — cash, debit cards and all credit cards.

Card payments have been more popular during this pandemic. We offer financing through Dentalcard. This company is able to assist patients with financing for dental treatment at a 0% interest rate payable at 3, 6, 12 or 18-month term. For healthy teeth should we change our diet? Without a complete oral examination and diet history, I will not be able to advise change of diet. However, it’s important we limit our intake of sugars as this can predispose to cavities. Healthy snacks such as fruits and veggies are a good

and when I am home, it’s family time. This is not always the case, especially because I just started a new role as the lead dentist at Flourish Dental. But it is my mantra, so I try my best to keep to that daily and limit mixing work with family time and vice versa. I love and adore time spent with my husband and the children and we try to be intentional with the times we have together. We always try to eat one meal together as a family and that’s supper time. We sit at the table and spend quality time talking about how everyone’s day went. This is when the kids have their uncensored conversations with mum and dad. We also look forward to weekend evenings because we have our family movie nights or game nights or if restrictions allow, we go out and explore what the city of Edmonton has to offer. What books are you reading now? Dental Practice Excellence by Alex Nottingham, The Productive Dental Team by Richard Garofolo, and Overcoming Stress, Anxiety and Depression by Kenneth & Gloria Copeland. The first two books are a result of my quest for building a business that exudes excellence. The last book, I have had for years, but I felt the need to read it again after starting a business in these challenging (COVID) times.

alternative to sweet snacking. Also, we advise clients to limit intake of acidic foods as these predispose to tooth wear which may lead to sensitivity. How do you balance your work commitments and your family? I try to balance my work commit ments with family by making a clear distinction between both entities. I try to keep unfinished work at the office LadiesCorner.ca – Spring 2021

Where can we find you? Flourish Dental, 16420 Ellerslie Road SW. Edmonton, AB. T6W 4S8. Phone number: 780-540-8155. Email: info@flourishdental.ca Online: www.flourishdental.ca

Facebook: @FlourishdentalYEG IG:Flourishdental_edmonton.

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We are in this

TOGETHER Coping with the Scourge of the Pandemic — Mary Thomas

he COVID pandemic has now claimed as many lives in North America as World War I, the Vietnam War, and the Korean War combined. Most of these deaths have been due to pulmonary thrombosis. The virus also attacks the nervous system. Doctors in a large Chicago medical centre found that more than 40% of patients with COVID showed neurologic manifestations, and more than 30% of those had impaired cognition. Longterm neurologic consequences in those who survive COVID infections have been seen. Particularly troubling is increasing evidence that there may be mild — but very real — brain damage that occurs in many survivors, causing pervasive yet subtle cognitive, behavioral, and psychological problems that stay long after the virus has been dealt with. COVID causes damage to the brain directly by encephalitis, which may have devastating or subtle long-term consequences. A group of Canadian doctors found that individuals over 70 years

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Canada

Spotlight

of age were at particularly high risk for stroke due to COVID infection, but even young individuals are seven times more likely to have a stroke from COVID-19 virus versus a typical flu virus. Autopsy data from COVID patients in Finland suggests that another major cause of brain damage is lack of oxygen. Particularly worrisome is that several of the patients who were autopsied did not show any signs of brain injury during the course of their COVID infection — yet all had brain damage. In one patient there was loss of taste, and in two there was “minimal respiratory distress,” but none of these patients were thought to have any brain damage while alive. During the pandemic, about 4 in 10 adults in North America have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder. A KFF Health Tracking Poll from July 2020 also found that many adults are reporting specific negative impacts on their mental health and well-being, such as difficulty sleeping (36%) or eating (32%), increases in alcohol consumption or substance use (12%), and worsening chronic conditions (12%), due to worry and stress over the coronavirus. As the pandemic wears on, ongoing and necessary public health measures expose many people to experiencing situations linked to poor mental health outcomes, such as isolation and job loss. Different groups have met the qualifying criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Man-

ual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5) by the American Psychiatric Association, as a result of the pandemic: those who have themselves suffered from serious COVID-19 illness and potential death; individuals who, as family members and health care workers, have witnessed others’ suffering and death; individuals who have learned about the death or risk of death of a family member or friend due to the virus; and individuals who have experienced extreme exposure to aversive details (e.g. first responders, medical examiners, and hospital personnel). Moreover, studies have explored other stressors adding to individuals’ emotional burdens, such as social isolation, unemployment and economic losses, and working from home while caring for children and other family members. Among health care workers, strains include lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), fears of virus exposure, burnout, patients perishing despite heroic efforts to save them, and difficult decisions about which patients should receive limited resources. Some studies have examined posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), as well as anxiety, depression and other symptoms, and substance use in the general population during the pandemic. Substance use is also on the rise in Canada during COVID-19. A recent poll found that 25% of Canadians aged 35-54 and 21% of those aged 18-34 have increased their alcohol consumption

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since social distancing and self-isolation due to COVID-19 began. Another study found that Canadians who described their mental health as ‘fair’ or ‘poor’ were more likely than those with better mental health to have increased their use of alcohol, cannabis and tobacco during the early stages of the pandemic. There is an all-pervasive fear, shock, and sadness. Many of us are sheltering at home, unable to see loved ones. Many have lost their jobs or worry they’re about to. And many are sick or will be. Some have observed that this feeling we’re carrying around right now is more than anxiety — it’s grief. Some of us are grieving the loss of loved ones. Even more of us are grieving the loss of normalcy. The pandemic has shattered our illusion of invulnerability. It has reminded us of the fragility of both our lives and of life as we know it. It is understandable that so many people are feeling deeply down. After researching how people deal with setbacks and challenges, psychologists have found that three P’s can stunt recovery: (1) Personalization – the belief that we are at fault. (2) Permanence – the belief that the aftershocks of the event will last forever. (3) Pervasiveness – the belief that an event will affect all areas of our life. Personalization is happening all around us. Some people

are blaming themselves for not doing enough to protect their friends and family, or feeling guilty for doing too little to help strangers. Others are beating themselves up for feeling lonely or unproductive. Instead of self-blame, psychologists recommend self-compassion: showing ourselves the same kindness we would extend to someone close to us. This is not our fault. We are only human. We may feel lonely, but we are not alone in that feeling. It can be hard to shake the impression of permanence too. When we’re suffering, we tend to project it out indefinitely. There’s a lot of uncertainty around how long this pandemic will last, which makes the sense of unyielding doom and gloom particularly daunting. It helps to remember that all pain is temporary. Although we don’t know when this crisis will end, we know that it will end. Another big lesson is to reject the sense of pervasiveness. During a tragedy, when things are so much worse than usual, it’s easy to get caught up in the feeling that everything is awful. But in reality, not everything is. Utilities are still operating. We still have books and board games and movies to enjoy at home. We can still reach out to loved ones by phone or through the internet. In some cases, being far apart physically is bringing us closer together emotionally. With separation comes a renewed sense of appreciation. Research has shown that gratitude can lift our spirits even when we’re at our lowest. Gratitude doesn’t just make

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us happier; it can make us stronger as well. Rejecting personalization, permanence, and pervasiveness means shifting our mindset. When the future is difficult to imagine, we can find strength by looking to the past. We have all faced personal hardships—from loss, injury, and illness to divorce and rejection, from professional failure to personal disappointment. We have faced collective hardships too—from wars and terrorist attacks to natural disasters and financial crises. By reflecting on how we have confronted adversity before, we can remind ourselves that we have the will and the way to endure this hardship. Resilience doesn’t mean rejecting unpleasant emotions. And letting emotions in doesn’t give them power over us; rather, it gives them room to move through us. Sometimes voicing fear gives us some control over it. Psychologists find that worrying is productive because it helps us anticipate and prepare for the worst. It becomes counterproductive when it turns into rumination — when our mental playlist is stuck on a loop of the same thoughts and feelings, without prompting us to plan or act. We often go to greater lengths to wash our hands and maintain physical distance for others than for ourselves. Taking care of family, friends, or our community can distract us from our grief. It can give us a sense that we matter — that we’re noticed and appreciated, that we make a difference. This crisis has once again demonstrated the indomitability and ingenuity of the human spirit. In Italy, people are find-

ing harmony in hibernation by opening their windows to sing together. In London, people are finding connection in isolation by holding daily dance parties on their driveways. In Brazil, people are staying active by pouring dishwashing soap on their kitchen floors, turning them into makeshift treadmills. In New York, some landlords are waiving rent for tenants. They remind us that post-traumatic stress is not the only option; it is possible to experience post-traumatic growth. We can do more than just bounce back — we can bounce forward. This pandemic has brought tragedy and chaos to our lives, tested our resolve and can also help build our resilience. Resilience is the strength and speed of our response to adversity — and we can build it. It isn’t about having a backbone. It’s about strengthening the muscles around our backbone. When we experience grief and loss, the question is: what do we do next? There are no perfect answers. Not every story has a happy ending. For each hopeful story we tell, there are others where circumstances were too much to overcome. Recovery does not start from the same place for everyone. Wars, violence, and systemic sexism and racism decimate lives and communities. Discrimination, disease, and poverty cause and worsen tragedy. The sad truth is that adversity is not evenly distributed among us; marginalized and disenfranchised groups have more to battle and more to grieve. Psychologists Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun

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LadiesCorner said “I am more vulnerable than I thought, but much stronger than I ever imagined.” When we face the slings and arrows of life, we are wounded and the scars stay with us. But we can walk away with greater inner resolve. When someone shows up with a cast, we immediately inquire, “What happened?” If your ankle gets shattered, people ask to hear the story. If your life gets shattered, they don’t. Even people who have endured the worst suffering often want to talk about it. Merle Saferstein, the former education director at the Holocaust Documentation and Education Center in South Florida worked with more than five hundred survivors and remembers only one who declined to open up. “In my experience, survivors want the opportunity to teach and not be shunned because they went through something unknowable,” Saferstein said. Still, people hesitate to ask questions out of concern that probing will dredge up trauma. To encourage discussion, Saferstein ran programs that brought survivors together with high school and college students. She notes that when students are offered the chance, questions tumble out. “I’ve heard them inquire, ‘What did you eat in the concentration camp? Did you still believe in God?’ Young girls will often ask, ‘Did you get your period? What did you do when you did?’ These aren’t personal questions. They are human questions.” Avoiding feelings isn’t the same as protecting feelings and the practice came to be known as the “mum effect” for when people avoid sharing bad news. My colleague who worked in the area of diversity told me that she believes many people succumb to the mum effect around race. By staying silent, we often isolate family, friends, and coworkers. Even under ordinary

circumstances, being alone with your thoughts can be uncomfortable. Silence can increase suffering. There’s no one way to grieve and there’s no one way to comfort. What helps one person won’t help another, and even what helps one day might not help the next. Growing up, I was taught to follow the Golden Rule: treat others as you want to be treated. But when someone is suffering, instead of following the Golden Rule, we need to follow the Platinum Rule: treat others as they want to be treated. Self-compassion isn’t talked about as much as it should be, maybe because it’s often confused with its troublesome cousins, self-pity and self-indulgence. Psychologist Kristin Neff describes self-compassion as offering the same kindness to ourselves that we would give to a friend. It allows us to respond to our own errors with concern and understanding rather than criticism and shame. Self-compassion comes from recognizing that our imperfections are part of being human and are associated with greater happiness and satisfaction, fewer emotional difficulties, and less anxiety. As psychologist Mark Leary observes, self-compassion “can be an antidote to the cruelty we sometimes inflict on ourselves.” Writing can be a powerful tool for learning self-compassion. Turning feelings into words can help us process and overcome adversity. Decades ago, health psychologist Jamie Pennebaker had two groups of college students journal for fifteen minutes a day for just four days — some about non-emotional topics and others about the most traumatic experience of their lives, which included rape, attempted suicide, and child abuse. After the first day of writing, the second group was less happy and had higher LadiesCorner.ca – Spring 2021

blood pressure. But when Pennebaker followed up six months later, the effects reversed and those who wrote about their traumas were significantly better off emotionally and physically. Even journaling for a few minutes a few times can make a difference. “You don’t have to write for the rest of your life,” Pennebaker told us. “You can start and stop when you feel you need to.” Labeling negative emotions makes them easier to deal with. The more specific the label, the better. “I’m feeling lonely” helps us process more than the vague “I’m feeling awful.” By putting feelings into words, we give ourselves more power over them. Psychologists studied hundreds of people who had endured all kinds of trauma: victims of sexual assault and abuse, refugees and prisoners of war, and survivors of accidents, natural disasters, severe injuries, and illnesses. Many of these people experienced ongoing anxiety and depression. Still, along with these negative emotions there were some positive changes. Up to that point, psychologists had focused mostly on two possible outcomes of trauma. Some people struggled: they developed PTSD, faced debilitating depression and anxiety, or had difficulty functioning. Others were resilient: they bounced back to their state before the trauma. Now there was a third possibility: people who suffered could bounce forward. It is the irony of all ironies to experience tragedy and come out of it feeling more grateful. Another form of post-traumatic growth is finding greater meaning in life — a stronger sense of purpose rooted in a belief that one’s existence has significance. In Viktor Frankl’s words, “In some way, suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning.”

Canada Family and religion are the greatest sources of meaning for many people. But work can be another source of purpose. The jobs where people find the most meaning are often ones that serve others. The roles of clergy, nurses, firefighters, addiction counselors, and kindergarten teachers can be stressful, but we rely on these often-undercompensated professionals for health and safety, learning and growth. Tedeschi and Calhoun found that after trauma, some people ended up choosing different directions for their lives that they never would have considered before. Although it can be extremely difficult to grasp, the disappearance of one possible self can free us to imagine a new possible self. After tragedy, we sometimes miss these opportunities because we spend all of our emotional energy wishing for our old lives. As Helen Keller put it, “When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which

Just as labeling negative emotions can help us process them, labeling positive emotions works too. Writing about joyful experiences for just three days can improve people’s moods and decrease their visits to health centres a full three months later. We can savor the smallest of daily events — how good a warm breeze feels or how delicious the fries taste. A close friend, one of the most optimistic people I know spends a few moments every night being grateful for the comfort of the pillow under her head. As we get older, we define happiness less in terms of excitement and more in terms of peacefulness. Reverend Veronica Goines sums this up as, “Peace is joy at rest, and joy is peace on its feet.” Sharing positive events with another person also increases our own pleasant emotions over the next few days. In the words of Shannon Sedgwick Davis, a human rights advocate whose work requires her to deal with atrocities on a daily basis, “Joy is a discipline.” Many doctors and therapists also point to exercise as one

Labeling negative emotions makes them easier to deal with. The more specific the label, the better. “I’m feeling lone-ly” helps us process more than the vague “I’m feeling awful.” By putting feelings into words, we give ourselves more power over them. has been opened for us.” Allowing ourselves to be happy — accepting that it is okay to push through the guilt and seek joy — is a triumph over permanence. Having fun is a form of self-compassion; just as we need to be kind to ourselves when we make mistakes, we also need to be kind to ourselves by enjoying life when we can. Tragedy breaks down your door and takes you prisoner. To escape takes effort and energy. Seeking joy after facing adversity is taking back what was stolen from you. As U2 lead singer Bono has said, “Joy is the ultimate act of defiance.” Paying attention to moments of joy takes effort because we are wired to focus on the negatives more than the positives. Bad events tend to have a stronger effect on us than good events. This made sense in prehistoric times: if you weren’t haunted by the memory of the time someone you loved ate the poisonous berries, you might nibble on them yourself. But today we give that attention to ordinary setbacks and daily hassles. A broken windshield wiper or a coffee stain has the power to drag us down. We zero in on potential threats and miss opportunities to smile.

of the best ways to improve psychological well-being. For some adults over fifty who suffer from major depression, working out may even be as effective as taking an antidepressant. Even when we’re in great distress, joy can still be found in moments we seize and moments we create. Cooking. Dancing. Hiking. Praying. Driving. Singing songs off-key. All of these can provide relief from pain. And when these moments add up, we find that they give us more than happiness; they also give us strength. We normally think of hope as something individuals hold in their heads and in their hearts. But people can build hope together. By creating a shared identity, individuals can form a group that has a past and a brighter future. If there’s hope, there’s life. Researchers find that hope springs up and persists when “communities of people generate new images of possibility.” Believing in new possibilities helps people fight back against the idea of permanence and propels them to seek out new options; they find the will and the way to move forward. Psychologists call this “grounded hope” — the understanding that if you take action you can make things better.

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LadiesCorner Resilience is not just built in individuals. It is built among individuals — in our neighborhoods, schools, towns, and governments. When we build resilience together, we become stronger ourselves and form communities that can overcome obstacles and prevent adversity. Collective resilience requires more than just shared hope — it is also fueled by shared experiences, shared narratives, and shared power. Resilient communities have strong social ties — bonds between people, bridges between groups, and links to local leaders. Even the most heroic examples of individual resilience can be inadequate in the face of poverty and untreated illness. When people with leprosy were kicked out of their villages, no amount of individual resilience could have helped them. It was not until the community began treating leprosy patients rather than banishing them that people could recover and survive. Empowering communities builds collective resilience. Self-organization provides order and builds shared power. We find our humanity — our will to live and our ability to love — in our connections to one another. Just as individuals can find post-traumatic growth and become stronger, so can communities. You never know when your community will need to call on that strength, but you can be sure that someday it will.

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Educating Our

GENERATION

Therese Djob is a substitute teacher and businesswoman in Leduc. In this interview, we discuss life as a frontline worker in a pandemic.

I am passionate about transmitting knowledge to people. I also want to leave a legacy to my family — kids first, and my community

ell us a little about yourself. Tell us about your business. My name is Thérèse Djob. I am the owner and founder of FrenchEtVoila. I am a married mom of four children (9, 6, 3, and a 2-month old). In 2004, I moved to Quebec, Canada from my native Cameroon as an international student. Six years later in 2010, I obtained a Degree in Mathematics and Technology from the University of Quebec in Montreal. My determination to learn then led me to move to Nova Scotia, and in 2014, I graduated with a Bachelor of Education from the University of Cape Breton. I am French-speaking native and certified educator, with over ten years of teaching in Francophone and French Immersion schools. I am a substitute-teacher in the Edmonton, Beaumont and Leduc area. In 2018, as an experienced teacher, I decided to

create FrenchEtVoila. My aim was to promote bilingualism in the community. FrenchEtVoila is a privately owned tutoring company which offers maths and French tutoring services to both children and adults alike. FrenchEtVoila offers personalized service to its clients. The focus is to assist our clients with their unique needs and challenges.

Why do you teach? I am passionate about transmitting knowledge to people. I also want to leave a legacy to my family — kids first, and my community. Share some of your success stories In 2014, I was a resource teacher, grades 10-12 maths and science teacher in a Francophone school called Etoile de L’Acadie in Sydney, Nova-Scotia. I was so happy to help kids with special needs and see them get confidence

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LadiesCorner The best part is when we receive feedback from parents who are happy with the good marks of their kids and the confidence their kids are getting towards learning best part is when we receive feedback from parents who are happy with the good marks of their kids and the confidence their kids are getting towards learning. Due to my lack of knowledge in accounting or management some times, it can be frustrating for me to do those tasks.

towards French and maths. At that time, I had a special connection with grade 10 — they were preparing their provincial exam at the end of the year. We worked hard with the students to overcome their challenges. At the end of the year all the students passed their provincial exams. A few years ago, some of those students contacted me and told me that they made it into university and medical schools. Since I opened FrenchEtVoila, I have been able to help more than 100 students improve their school grades. One example that comes to my mind was in 2018 where we had the pleasure of helping two brothers. They came with grades in French and maths lower than 50%. After working with them for two years, we improved their grades to 90%. Recently, the parents told me that their kids were keeping steady good marks and they are contemplating going to university or other specialized programs. What’s the hardest part of teaching? What is the best and difficult part of your business? The hardest part of teaching for me is to motivate students to exceed their current academic level. The

Has the pandemic affected you in any way? When the pandemic hit, like everyone else, I lost a lot of customers, we had to move online to be able to operate. In every situation in my life, I try to see the positive, the pandemic helped us to develop the ability to teach online. Today with the technology we can teach students around the world. You are also a businesswoman, how do you combine both? Business, and family? It is not easy to combine all the hats I am playing in society ( mom, substitute teacher, businesswoman) especially that I have no help (no family) around. My husband is the key role in my success, he helps me a lot with the kids, and he also listens and gives guidance. What books are you reading now? I am not reading any book right now, it’s difficult for me to stay focused. Instead I listen to a lot of YouTube videos about spirituality and empowerment like Wayne Dyer, Eckhart Tolle, or Louise Hay. Where can we find you? Contact us, today at +1587-879-0607 or at frenchetvoila. com, to find out how we can take you or your child’s literacy to the next level. Limited Spaces available.

Facebook: frenchetvoila

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SPARKLING ON SOCIAL MEDIA Sharon’s story inspires us to dare: dare to be adventurous, dare to live and dare to breathe. She shows what we can achieve when we push ourselves beyond our comfort zones. Can you please tell us about you? My name is Sharon Rusike and I am the owner and Creative Director of SPI Media group, a Boutique Digital Marketing Agency in Edmonton that specializes in helping new and established brands develop innovative and creative marketing strategies. I am also a podcast host, YouTuber and I’ve started a new corporate luxury gift box business called “Luxe Life Gift Boxes” that’s launching in April 2021. How did you get into business? I got into business because I grew up in an entrepreneurial family. My parents ran their own businesses and so did my siblings, it only made

sense for me to join in on the family tradition. My family inspired me to start my own business and to have something for myself that I could look at and be proud to say that I created an opportunity for myself to learn what it takes to run a business from the ground up. I started my first business at the age of 19 and it was a cleaning company. I learned so much from that experience and about how much hard work and dedication it takes to be a housekeeper, I also learned about how to be a great leader and manage a team. I also started a concierge business where I had the opportunity to work with my local airport in Yellowknife. Although I’m no longer in these LadiesCorner.ca – Spring 2021

industries I’m forever grateful for the opportunities I had as I decided to move to Edmonton and pursue a career in Creative Marketing. Creativity has always been a passion of mine and I love taking something from a concept to a physical or digital product. What drives or powers your inspiration? The driving source of inspiration is from my need to be an example for my nieces and nephews. I want to be an inspiration for the younger generation to see that no matter your strengths or weaknesses you can always make it and achieve whatever you dream of. The business world

LadiesCorner My number one tip for anyone starting their business is to never fear failure. A lot of times as starting business owners we are so scared of the thought of failing and sometimes succeeding. Why is your business important to your community? My business is important to my community because I bring my perspective and my creativity everywhere I go. I seek to understand what my clients needs are and to exceed their expectations. I never want to pride myself on knowing everything, I’m always keen to learn more and from anyone. Having business owners in our community that are always open to learning and listening is a hard skill to find and I pride myself on being a great learner and listener. I am also very confident in my abilities and know that I can get my client to where they see their business going and even further than that.

tends to glorify the extroverted entrepreneur and I’m here to show that it doesn’t matter how shy, introverted or underlooked you are, there’s always room for you on the table. The underdogs always come out stronger! What services do you offer? I like to think of my services as more of an experience. Every business I run always has an emphasis on luxury. I want to offer only the best when it comes to my creative services. I offer a range of experiences from web design, creative branding, brand stylizing, one-on-one consulting, content creation and so much more that you can find on my website www.spimediagroup.com.

What are your tips for anyone wanting to start a business? My number one tip for anyone starting their business is to never fear failure. A lot of times as starting business owners we are so scared of the thought of failing and sometimes succeeding. You have to believe that the worst thing that can happen is that it doesn’t work out but at least you tried. My second tip is to “believe in your sauce” or “drink your own Kool-Aid” as the kids say. The most important aspect of business is to have confidence. Confidence in your service or product. Believe in what you offer and what you charge, know your value and never let anyone determine or change that for you. Also learn to listen and take constructive criticism, not all opinions are good ones but take the ones you know are coming from a place of help. Where can we find you? If you’re looking for me, you can find me on all social media platforms as @sharonfrusike, Youtube: Sharon Rusike.

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Canada Top Podcasts for Business Owners 1. Entrepreneurs on Fire John Lee Dumas created this wildly successful high-energy podcast. Entrepreneurs on Fire focuses on inspiring and educating young entrepreneurs. Aside from the credibility of featured talent, new episodes are rolled out every single day of the week. It features the success stories of entrepreneurs, including Seth Godin, Barbara Corcoran and Tim Ferriss, in an entertaining format. If you need something to keep you motivated as an entrepreneur, this is one of the best podcasts for any business owner.

Personal

Development Personal Development with Emmanuel Oluwatosin, Founder of AfricaX

unning a successful business requires that the business owner commits to personal development. As a business owner, your business can not grow beyond your personal development level. So, as you work on your business, it is important that you work on yourself. Listening to podcasts is a great way to learn something while you are doing something else. In this article, I will share some podcasts every business owner should have on their list.

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2. How I Built This You will find this on the list of top podcasts for any business owner. This is NPR’s business podcast hosted by Guy Raz. On How I Built This, Guy Raz explores the incredible stories of entrepreneurs who have accomplished the seemingly impossible. Raz’s weekly podcast has featured people like JetBlue Airways founder David Neeleman, as well as the minds behind Kickstarter. Whether you are interested in expanding your business or scaling a new tech startup, you will benefit from this impressive library of interviews. 3. Mixergy Andrew Warner created Mixergy to provide listeners with advice, tips and strategies on how to overcome the various challenges associated with being an entrepreneur. As a listener, you will learn from a mix of interviews and courses that have been created with the help of over 1,500 successful entrepreneurs. The podcasts cover a wide variety of topics. For instance, you can learn about business owners

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who sold their companies or people’s personal experiences. 4. Masters of Scale Masters of Scale is a business and finance podcast hosted by Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn. The show is created and owned by WaitWhat. In each episode, Hoffman introduces a theory on how successful businesses scale, and tests its validity by interviewing founders about their path to scale. The podcast offers its listeners in-depth insight, analysis, and advice. Also, it offers tested theories on how to operate, scale and grow your businesses. 5. HBR Ideacast HBR Ideacast is for those of you who cannot get enough of Harvard Business Review. The podcast features interviews and discussions from “leading world thinkers” in both business and management. The show is hosted by senior editors Alison Beard and Curt Nickish. It airs weekly episodes on pertinent issues and affairs affecting both entrepreneurs and the business world at large. 6. The Strategy Hour If you are a woman in business, The Strategy Hour podcast is for you. The hosts, Abagail Pumphrey and Emylee Williams, started the successful Think Creative Collective. This is a company that helps creative entrepreneurs get

their business going strong. The podcast helps overwhelmed and creative entrepreneurs break down their Oprah-sized dreams. In addition, it helps a business owner create a functioning command center to tame the chaos of their business. 7. The GaryVee Audio Experience This is one of my top podcasts for any business owner. The GaryVee Audio Experience offers insightful information in the world of marketing and business.This is a mix of Gary’s best highlights from his DAILYVEE documentary video series, keynote speeches on marketing and business. You will also listen to interviews, fireside chats, and any of his new and current thoughts. 8. The Tim Ferriss Show The Tim Ferriss Show interviews “world-class” individuals and gives listeners insight into tactics, strategies, tools and routines they can emulate in order to grow their businesses. On each episode, Tim deconstructs worldclass performers from eclectic areas (investing, sports, business, art, etc.). He uses the show to extract the tactics, tools, and routines you can use. This includes favorite books, morning routines, exercise habits, time-management tricks, and much more. 9. Youpreneur Youpreneur focuses on helping you to build, market and monetize your LadiesCorner.ca – Spring 2021

personal brand. The show is hosted by Christ Ducker who experienced an epiphany when he burned out on his business in 2009. Each show helps entrepreneurs understand what it means to develop their personal brand. Through the podcast, you will learn how to become the go-to leader in your industry and build a future-proof business. 10. School of Greatness School of Greatness is the brainchild of New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur and former pro-athlete Lewis Howes. The School of Greatness shares inspiring interviews from some of the most successful people on the planet. Its focus is to inspire you to unlock your inner greatness and live your best life. Howes created the podcast to share inspiring stories and ideas from some of the most brilliant business minds in the industry. On the podcast, you will get pointed life advice to help you maintain the balance and proper mindset necessary to be your best selves. So, it doesn’t matter whether you are an aspiring business owner or you are a veteran, you will find something for you in the list above. Your responsibility is to commit to lifelong learning and personal development. Oluwatosin Emmanuel www.africaextended.com

& BRICKS

Canada

R E A L E STAT E A Path to Wealth Creation with Colleen Tsikira

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Gather your Bricks Bricks are foundational in building a house and foundational to building financial freedom. Think about collecting BRICKs for your house. You can’t give away BRICKs before your house is built — you need to keep your BRICKs so your house can be fully built. To get to the point where you can start to think about giving away extra BRICKs or sending them home, you need to invest so your money can work for you to multiply the BRICKs you have. As an example, you can invest to get cash flow by buying properties. Then you can build a home where you live instead of sending your income back home (to Africa). You may need to have a heart-to-heart conversation with those you love so they understand what you’re doing. Remember, you’re building your financial freedom so never ask for permission to do this. Even if they don’t understand, you’ll be

able to help them even more in the future if you build this base. They’ll see the benefit later because when you have an asset (your home or homes) that produces cash flow as income, you can send as many excess BRICKs to support your family, but you have to gather your own BRICKs first. BANK savings It’s not about how much you make, it’s about how much you keep. The truth is you can’t save your way to wealth. A lot of people think if you make $80,000 a year, you’re rich, or if you’ve hit 6-figures, you’ve made it, but you’re not keeping all of it. Most people keep almost nothing from their income. In fact, the average rate of savings for Canadians is 1.7%, which means that those earning $50,000 a year are only saving $850. In 40 years, assuming 6% returns and 2% inflation, you would have just over $137,000 LadiesCorner.ca – Spring 2021

to fund your retirement, which isn’t enough. When we take a look at the median overall savings of American households, it’s currently only $4,830 and 31 percent say they can’t save anything. RENT for cashflow Most people don’t think about their house as something that will pay them. It’s smart to invest in assets that pay you. Many immigrants will come to this country and get a job, buy the biggest house they can afford, along with a nice car just to show that they’ve made it. They’re proud of what they’ve accomplished. What they miss is that those things are liabilities. Let’s get into the mindset of getting assets that pay you. Buying a house that can pay you may seem unusual but it’s the way to build wealth. After you have a couple of those properties, you can move up to your own

Canada

big dream house with the cash flow coming from your other homes. That’s security. At the end of the day, if you buy that big house and the nice car with the income from your job and you lose your job, what happens? You are financing a lifestyle that is unsustainable and you may not be able to afford it. If you have properties paying you, you wouldn’t need to worry about that at all. INCOME from employment In general, we tend to talk about Return on Investment but we forget that there’s also Return on Time, which is more important. If you get a Return on Investment that equals Return on Time, it’s much better. This is really what we’re working towards with real estate — to provide you with options for a better future. When you have assets producing cash flow, that money can be used to support your family instead of a job and buy back your time. You have more time with your kids, you have more time to travel, and to do the things you’ve always dreamed of doing.

CREDIT management For example, let’s say you buy ten bags of chips throughout the month because you just love chips that much. Instead of making one lump sum payment at the end of the month, make ten smaller payments immediately after. This will help build your credit better than the one-time monthly payment. There are three major credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. They report consumer spending and paying habits. While sometimes the information reported by each may be different, there are five main areas they look at to calculate a credit score: payment history, total amount owed, length of credit history, types of credit, new credit. KNOWLEDGE growth It all begins and ends with education. Whether you got up to grade 12 or graduated from university, get enough knowledge so that you can be well versed in any industry you may want to get into. From there, it’s all about investing LadiesCorner.ca – Spring 2021

in more of your education. We live in a system where we think the only type of education we can get is from schools, but if you want to be financially free, you might realize that school education may not be enough or right for you. Remember there are many examples of millionaires like Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk who dropped out of school. We’ve been too slow in embracing other ways of getting an education or thinking that working a regular nine to five job until you retire will get you all you need and want. Lastly, I would like to add SUPPORT System: To succeed, it is crucial to find and connect with like minded individuals. Colleen and her husband Zeb are real estate investors. They live in Edmonton, Alberta. Website:thetsikiras.com

Twitter @Colleentsikira Instagram @ColleenTsikira

mum’s KORNER

By Tayo ElNathan

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Cooking Time

HEARTY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Servings: 6 Ingredients:

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 575 g/1 lb 4 oz 2 L (8 cups) water 2 sprigs fresh parsley 1 onion, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 250 mL (1 cup) whole grain egg noodles 250 mL (1 cup) frozen peas 60 mL (1/4 cup) grated Parmesan cheese 30 mL (2 tbsp) chopped fresh basil or parsley Hot pepper sauce (optional) Time saver: Double this recipe and freeze extra servings for another day. Portion the soup into individual servings for easy meals that are ready to go. If you don’t have a large pot, just double the recipe by using two smaller pots instead. Try using less of the ingredients that are high in added sodium, sugars or saturated fat. Adding salt or sugars directly to your recipe? Remember, a little often goes a long way. Culled from: food-guide.com LadiesCorner.ca – Spring 2021

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WOMEN Celebrating

I N T E R N A T I O N A L L Y 10 Fun Facts about Mrs Ngozi Okwonjo-Iweala

She is a NigerianAmerican economist and international development expert. She has served since March 1, 2021 as the Director General of the World Trade Organization. She is 66 years old and the first woman and first African, to occupy the position. She was born in 1954, six years before Nigeria’s Independence. She is known to have a ‘no nonsense attitude’. This means she has high standards and she demands the best of

the people she works with. She studied at Harvard 1973-76 and earned a PhD at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1988. She spent 25 years at the World Bank, rising to the No.2 position as managing director (2007-11) She was twice Nigerian finance minister from 2003-2006 and 20112015. She was the first woman to hold the post. She served briefly as foreign minister in 2006, also the first

woman to do so She sits on the boards of Twitter, Standard Chartered Bank and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI). Her son -Uzodinma Iweala- is the author of Beast of No Nation. The title of the book was from the Nigerian Afrobeats star Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. This novel was turned into a film in 2015. Idris Elba won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor

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