1) What do you do?
I’m the founder and CEO of Mindful Collective, which owns B Yoga & Halfmoon Yoga, two sister brands offering yoga, meditation, and wellness goods globally.
2) What university or college did you attend? What did you study?
I studied Commerce at McGill University, concentrating in Marketing & International Business. I also received my master’s in international business at MacQuarie University, Sydney, Australia.
3) What experience did you gain before you landed in your field? How were those experiences valuable to what you do now?
I worked in the marketing of consumer–packaged goods for several years, which gave me insights into the intersection of creativity, brand strategy, and project and client management.
Working at various marketing agencies, I honed my marketing knowledge and fundamental work ethics and habits that serve me to this day – of note: time management, client and intercompany communications, and goal setting.
I joined my family business 10 years ago, a 5th generation industrial manufacturing holding company. My experience here focused on navigating a balance and profit & loss sheet, corporate relations, and manufacturing operations. None of these things are my gravitas, yet all are important to my overall knowledge base as I lead Mindful Collective today.
4) Did you always know that this is what you wanted to do?
From the moment I fell madly in love with yoga in 2003, I knew that I would somehow incorporate it into my life in a meaningful way.
It took me 12 years to figure out HOW I would do this professionally. Maintaining this dedication to bringing yoga into my professional life subtly guided me to conceptualize and eventually launch B Yoga.
5) What is your one piece of career advice for today’s post-secondary students and recent graduates looking to find their career path?
Follow your passion(s) as they can lead you to incredible opportunities, but know that HARD WORK is a massive part of any successful career equation. (The trick is that when passion is there, the work often doesn’t feel like work.)
6) What do you look for in new talent when hiring for your team?
We hire equally for FIT and FUNCTION, meaning that we are so committed to our culture that a potential new hire’s values and ‘fit factor’ is a crucial determinant for us. M.C.C values inclusivity, integrity, respect, and compassion. We want our team to embody this.
7) Favourite quote?
In light of the current state of humanity: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better” – Maya Angelou
8) What are you reading right now?
9) What do you love most about what you do?
I am a creator. I love building things, including campaigns, products, brands, and also OUR TEAM. Watching people grow and flourish in their M.C.C roles is a real blessing.
10) Mindfulness is something we could all use more of these days – particularly now. Do you have any advice for today’s post-secondary students or recent graduates looking to cultivate mindfulness during this particularly challenging time?
There are so many different ways to tap into mindfulness and when you find the ones that work best for you, the benefits are plentiful. Try different ones to see what resonates uniquely with you. A yoga class, a forest bath, a sauna series, a simple breathwork meditation, a meditation app, the list goes on. There is something that will work for you and indeed allow you to ground and re–center. Also, be patient with yourself and start small – even 5 minutes a day is beneficial.
