Participants of the Toronto 2013 ‘Radical Business Intensive’
Ahna DiFelice
As an expressive arts therapist I am a passionate artist who loves to play, create, celebrate and create community. I recently established a child care in private homes business and am also in the midst of developing a Life Celebrant services where I will marry couples, memorialize those who have transitioned and celebrate other life milestones. My long term vision is to fulfill my dream of a ‘Play, Create and Celebrate Enterprise’, comprising my services. Life is good!
Aleks Meuse
web: www.ameusehands.com
I have found my path and home in the healing arts, centered in the soma(body), primarily in the practice of Massage Therapy, and progressively also in facilitating movement practices. I love to dance, to move and be in the wisdom of the physical nature. I am forever a student of this embodied life and I have lots to share. My wisdom is rooted in the intangible essential nature that is the foundation of life.
I share with people a great peace and joy of how good life can be when we embrace the forces of nature that are our bodies. I see a lot of smiles in my work and am looking to forward to seeing a lot more.
April Burroughs – Flow Office Wisdom
web: www.flowofficewisdom.com
Entrepreneur with a vision for improving the lives of women in the world whether it’s on the team or on another continent. I recently started my own business called FLOW Office Wisdom. FLOW serves businesses and not for profits with virtual business administration.
I have a unique background with a combination of business management and spiritual direction. Wanting to explore and live out a new way doing for-profit business. FLOWs profits go to support the team also importantly, with a percentage going to organizations, project etc. that improve the lives of women and their communities. Current project is with The Hunger Project — Canada.
Crystal Wilson – Buzz Builder
web: www.flowofficewisdom.com
Crystal is FLOW’s Buzz Builder or Social Media Manager. Her greatest strength is her people skills, and her ability to use social media and other means to build relationships and communicate.
Crystal believes that by developing relationships with clients to find out what they do and why, the FLOW team can determine how best to provide services. She wants her work to have a purpose, which is why social enterprise is appealing to her.
Crystal thrives on a high-energy, flexible and varied work-life. She says she loves a challenge and works “fantastic” under pressure. Crystal has experience in sales, administration, the hospitality industry, and children and youth programming.
Irina Baranov – Custom Made Life
web: www.CustomMadeLife.com
Hi. I’m Irina. My passion is helping people think outside the box and create extraordinary lives for themselves through customizing their work, their relationships, their fun, their health and their environments – physical, social and spiritual. I’ve been doing this on some level since I was old enough to talk/listen. And now I get the huge honor of doing it professionally as a life coach.
Yes, I’m a certified life coach – me and 50,000 others. So now it’s time to really figure this out. What is my practice really all about? Who am I meant to serve? How can I possibly make this into a profitable business that aligns with my heart and soul? I’m looking for answers, and ready to roll up my sleeves and do any necessary work to finally figure it out.
On the personal side, I’m a devoted mother (to 17 year-old Ben and 14 year-old Allie), loving wife, loyal friend and family member. I’ve always been somewhat of a contradiction – petite female with what I’ve often been told is a “male energy,” key insider (throughout my career) who feels like an outsider, smart and capable but not really interested in the standard things that people do with those gifts (if I had a nickel for every time someone asked me why I didn’t go to graduate school…), pragmatic/practical/cautious in my head and embracing, giddy, wild in my heart. I blend well in all kinds of worlds, from business meetings to yoga studios, but have never felt 100% comfortable anywhere for a substantial length of time. I’ve always been a seeker and have been a helpful guide to other seekers. That is my gift.
James Wandler
web: www.jameswandler.ca
I spent 38 years within the system looking for answers to the world problems I perceived. In mid 2008 I received a call to action out of fear of world collapse (economy/ecology/energy) and left a comfortable accounting career in Bermuda and came back to Canada to start farming and research holistic solutions first from a physical perspective and then a spiritual perspective.
In early 2010 I began to experience symptoms associated with severe mental illness and continued to research spirituality. I bottomed out in late 2011 and began whole life psychotherapy and had some immediate relief and over time my symptoms were released. In early 2013 I received some spiritual healing through a friend of mine and continued some practices that now have me feeling better and better than at any other time in my life. My aspirations include a world without limits.
I’m now looking to implement a life coaching business to help a large number of people in a deep and profound way across the part of the spectrum of physical/mental/emotional and spiritual wellness that resonates with them in the moment. Thanks for reading!
Julia Ray – Yoga Vibe
web: www.yoga-vibe.com
I just celebrated my company Yoga Vibe’s 10 year anniversary. This has been a huge joy and a huge challenge … to get to this point, this stage in life! Now I’ve got to think creatively, how to expand into my other passions … dreams and dance. Trying to make a business out of something that does not exist is uber challenging but I’m up for it because I’m being called … what else can I do but respond to the calling!
Liz Diaz – Awaken Your Bliss
Greetings fellow hippies here is a little bit about me:
I trained with Dr. Mandy Wintink at the Centre for Applied Neuroscience in 2012. Before deciding to become a life coach I had been working in the non-profit sector in the areas of community development with women, newcomers, and low-income people, as well as youth work, and employment and career counseling. In 2010 the end of a long-term relationship and a desire to learn more out more about myself. I quit my l my job and pursued my dream of working in international development. During my time abroad I contracted typhoid fever a life threatening illness. Suffering from chronic fatigue, emotionally instability and serious digestive issues. I began working with a naturopath and psychotherapist. I also started to explore the healing capacities of restorative yoga, meditation, creative visualizations, affirmations, gardening, art and dance, slowly returning to a state of renewed self. Through my own life experiences I become aware of the importance of whole healing, and wanted to bring that to others I decided to shift from the non-profit/social work sector to the holistic field bringing mind, body, heart, and soul empowerment strategies in my work. Leading me to create Awaken Your Bliss. I am currently pursuing training in Transpersonal Personal Psychotherapy, as well as a certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy. I am also managing and am a part of a collective of practitioners who have healing arts space, in a movement studio. Check out https://www.facebook.com/80Gladstone
Here is a little blurb about my biz:
Awaken Your Bliss provides life Coaching services, classes, events, retreats, and travel that renew, and transform your mind, body, heart and soul. Integrating movement/dance, nature, wellness, mindfulness techniques, that leaves you inspire and empower to make the changes you desire to live a life you love.
Co-creating a space with you to renew, rediscover, transform and reach your highest potential. Reconnecting you with a balanced mind, body, heart and soul; bringing you greater peace, joy, and fulfillment in life.
Lyndon – Tech Guru for the Holistic Community
web: www.holistichightech.com
Maria Sword – Bad Ass Administrative Gun for Hire
I am so excited to be starting my business, providing awesome administrative services to busy progressive/socially-minded/do-gooder entrepreneurs and small businesses. Tailoring what I do and when I do it to what is needed, I aim to support great folks with great ideas who don’t have enough time to whip the admin side of their work into fantastic shape (or who really really don’t like doing it 🙂 ).
Freshly back from some excellent travel time around Europe, and combined with lots of good deep thinks, I realized that organization, efficiency and all-around awesome administration are the things I do best, and also the things that make me happy and motivated. So now is the time for me to move these skills into the socially conscious world in a full-time way to help facilitate some excellent positive change, whether that’s through project coordination, day-to-day management, or both!
Michelle Drake – Master Habits
I am a Fitness/Wellness professional that has been in the industry for over 25 years – teaching, training, freelance journalist, PRO trainer – list goes on – and LOVE IT! I have come up with a creation to showcase and collaborate with many energies and businesses and always find when I am bringing something to fruition – I need hand holding to not go crazy with my creativity. Marketing has always been a struggle for me and I would like a system that works well for my person.
Ronald Singer
web: www.ronsinger.com
I sell Life Insurance and Investments , I have a unique process that can save people thousands of dollars a year in interest costs , but it takes me 30 minutes to explain it.
I am a community activist, I closed down a local crack house, I found out how on the internet.
I got a crosswalk put in on a dangerous street.
I ran for city councillor but was not elected.
I coach high school football.
I eat 99.9 % plant based, I do not eat animals.
I already know all the marketing ideas that DO NOT work.
I think referrals are a good way , but everytime I mask for a referral it is like I am begging for more soup.
Sandra Campbell
i’m a philosopher who’s found herself on Surprise Sabbatical for the summer. i call myself a non-schooled communication specialist, in the fields of applied philosophy and workplace ethics. my work history has been mostly in retail sales, which has left me (more than) a little disenchanted with Business in general, but with mad skillz in customer service.
as far as what brings me to this workshop – i’m about to embark on a great Life Experiment, in which i’m hoping to really blur the
boundaries between my personal and professional lives, pursue writing as my craft, and build community by sharing stories and helping where help is needed. i just need to learn to articulate exactly what my vision is made of; and to figure out how it can pay the bills.
Sarah Stevenson
I work as a Registered Massage Therapist in Hamilton, Ontario. I’ve been at it for just over three years and find it very rewarding to see my clients improve physically, emotionally and mentally with treatment. I’m constantly striving to learn more, improve the skills I have, and learn new ones in order to be the most help I can be to my clients and myself.