An entrepreneur juggling two different businesses

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[00:00] SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Canada's Entrepreneur, where we talk to the entrepreneurs who are making it happen
[00:05] SPEAKER_00: across Canada and deliver the news, trends, knowledge and opinions from entrepreneurs and business
[00:13] SPEAKER_04: influences across the country. Hello, I'm Mario Taniguchi, managing editor of Canada's Entrepreneur
[00:21] SPEAKER_04: joining me today on Calgary's podcast is Cynthia Navarrette, who is owner of Jacaranda Yoga and
[00:29] SPEAKER_04: Active Wear brand and also of Cynthia and Doug Hane, who is a digital marketing services company.
[00:38] SPEAKER_02: Thanks Cynthia for joining us today. Thank you Mario, thanks for inviting me.
[00:43] SPEAKER_04: Let's talk a little bit about both businesses and we'll start off with Jacaranda, tell me
[00:50] SPEAKER_02: just a little bit about what that is. Yeah, so Jacaranda it's a clothing brand based
[00:58] SPEAKER_02: here in Calgary. It's a slow fashion brand. I created it because I am passionate about
[01:05] SPEAKER_02: natural fibers. I am also an environmental engineer and I love yoga so it started as a yoga
[01:14] SPEAKER_02: clothing brand and eventually I added some items like a lunchwear which is another big part of
[01:21] SPEAKER_02: Jacaranda. So in where right now it's focused on the yoga wear and yeah it's basically I use
[01:30] SPEAKER_02: basically organic cotton and conventional cotton. Yeah, so people seem to like it, it's healthy,
[01:37] SPEAKER_02: when we do yoga I do a lot of yoga and you sweat and it's like we like to sweat in natural fibers
[01:46] SPEAKER_02: instead of using polyester or you know nylon or synthetic fabrics so this is an option for the
[01:53] SPEAKER_02: healthy yogi or people that are looking for natural fibers. And where did that material come from?
[02:00] SPEAKER_02: So the organic cotton is from Peru. So everything started in Peru like eight years, seven years ago.
[02:11] SPEAKER_02: So I'm sourcing the fabric from them and now I'm producing here in Calgary. I just produce
[02:17] SPEAKER_02: back in Peru when everything started, everything was done there. Right now it's way better for me to
[02:23] SPEAKER_02: do that. I was producing outside Calgary but this is the first production that I'm doing locally
[02:28] SPEAKER_02: in Calgary so it's better for me because I can control the quality better you know like it's easier
[02:36] SPEAKER_02: cheap and after COVID it was chaos so it's better for me here. So everything is made here
[02:45] SPEAKER_04: and fabric from Peru. Okay then. And maybe just sorry when did you start this?
[02:54] SPEAKER_02: So it I started it in 2008 but it took me like nine months like a baby to do the first collection
[03:04] SPEAKER_02: because because there were a lot of samples like I was very detailed in the feeding it has a nice
[03:10] SPEAKER_02: feeding so like a fluttering feeding for for us for the ladies. So it took me like nine months to
[03:16] SPEAKER_02: launch it. So I eventually launched it in 2009 so that's where I started to sell here in Canada
[03:22] SPEAKER_02: in 2009. So yeah 2009 to the story 2019 2019 2019 2019 so yeah it's been like five six seven
[03:35] SPEAKER_04: years yeah. And where's the clothing as old like strictly online or elsewhere? Yes so for a while
[03:46] SPEAKER_02: that had a little story in Marlowe but right now it's everything is online so I work with
[03:53] SPEAKER_02: other retailers so that we are connected online so they also sell my clothes through their
[04:01] SPEAKER_02: refill online shops but everything right now it's online yeah. Talk a little bit about the other
[04:10] SPEAKER_04: company that you do at Cynthia N.CA and what's that all about?
[04:18] SPEAKER_02: Yes so when I started to check around the Mario I didn't even know how to handle Instagram you know
[04:25] SPEAKER_02: like I was like I didn't know much about I'm originally an environmental engineer from here from
[04:30] SPEAKER_02: University of Calgary and I was not I was not using much the social media and that but with
[04:38] SPEAKER_02: Canada I learned like from like zero to like as much as possible like the courses I kind of I
[04:46] SPEAKER_02: focused a lot on digital marketing and eventually I got pretty good at it. So when I was having
[04:51] SPEAKER_02: check around I was doing also some freelance work for other companies in digital marketing and
[04:58] SPEAKER_02: eventually I said okay this is good so I started this new business which is it was called
[05:05] SPEAKER_02: Kanagro first so Kanagro it was mainly dedicated to help us move businesses with their digital
[05:12] SPEAKER_02: marketing needs so I've been doing that for the last years I eventually like formalize it but now
[05:21] SPEAKER_02: it's my brand name so it's under Cynthia N. So yeah so I do I still do digital marketing for other
[05:30] SPEAKER_02: businesses yeah so I have one client that is a month of a profitability that I love I love to work
[05:36] SPEAKER_02: with them and right now I'm looking for more clients in digital marketing that I love I love it I do
[05:43] SPEAKER_02: pretty much everything like since website design social media content creation and content management
[05:51] SPEAKER_02: content marketing marketing strategy that aligns an integrated marketing management in all platforms
[06:00] SPEAKER_02: SEO which is very important SEO places the websites ranks the website in number one in Google so you
[06:10] SPEAKER_02: don't have to spend on ads to rank on Google so it's very important for small businesses or
[06:16] SPEAKER_02: or businesses that they don't want to spend much on advertising or paid advertisement so yeah so SEO
[06:25] SPEAKER_04: content marketing brand management yeah on that you know when you look at businesses out there that
[06:35] SPEAKER_04: don't do digital marketing what do you think about those businesses oh my god you know what
[06:44] SPEAKER_02: it's at this time you know we're in the area so you need to have online presses it's not a choice
[06:53] SPEAKER_02: anymore plus it's not just that that that's right now that's the very basic like the very base
[06:59] SPEAKER_02: line that you need to have because now as you know AI is like pushing everything out of this like
[07:08] SPEAKER_02: even like to another level so you need to have an online presence plans optimize it with the AI
[07:15] SPEAKER_02: so it's not for all businesses you know like when I was with Jakarta doing I got I did a tour
[07:22] SPEAKER_02: all around Canada and I made all the small businesses selling their two-year items for so many years
[07:28] SPEAKER_02: businesses that they have been in the market like very well placed in the Canadian market selling
[07:34] SPEAKER_02: their stuff and some of them they did have their website but they didn't sell anything through their
[07:40] SPEAKER_02: website they were just selling to the public like through these events in person so and this was
[07:47] SPEAKER_02: just not so long ago this was in 2022 2023 so you know they are missing such a big part of
[07:58] SPEAKER_02: the market because they are not online so it's a necessity is a need that they need right now
[08:04] SPEAKER_02: plans to follow like optimize the website with SEO and geo which is the new thing right now with
[08:12] SPEAKER_02: all these AI craziness so they can be found online if they do that that's the only way that you
[08:20] SPEAKER_04: are going to keep yeah yeah they're pointed a lot of the businesses they they try to do it
[08:27] SPEAKER_04: you know like say an entrepreneur and I you got an entrepreneur with a small company
[08:34] SPEAKER_04: and he or she may have one or two people working for them maybe they don't have anybody right
[08:40] SPEAKER_04: but they do they try to do this on their own they just can't right they don't I guess it just
[08:47] SPEAKER_02: don't have the time right it's hard but that's what I am right now with Jakarta and the clothing
[08:53] SPEAKER_02: it's just one person and I completely understand you know like we have a life as well we have
[09:00] SPEAKER_02: families we have to like part ourselves in like holograms you know like it's it's it's it's a lot
[09:06] SPEAKER_02: but it's very important because if they don't do this right now I don't know how it's going to be
[09:12] SPEAKER_02: like it's getting harder and harder to sell on like in physical in like these events I saw it
[09:20] SPEAKER_02: because there is way more competition online they are taking that part but they should be selling
[09:28] SPEAKER_02: to these their customers because it has it has a well there's an evolution on that a lot of people
[09:36] SPEAKER_02: still buying presents but like there is a way where people buying online right now because it's
[09:42] SPEAKER_02: just comfortable because it's easier faster I don't know I know there are certain
[09:48] SPEAKER_02: difference in generations but still like people need to have a non-line presses and optimize it
[09:56] SPEAKER_04: yeah so how do you as an entrepreneur yourself how do you juggle operating two different businesses
[10:05] SPEAKER_02: oh my it's crazy but I like the challenge I don't know I just like to keep busy and I love it
[10:14] SPEAKER_02: I have a song that I like to spend a lot of time with him and it's me crazy but it's been
[10:21] SPEAKER_02: rewarding and like I like to have the flexibility of the model when I started my entrepreneurial journey
[10:30] SPEAKER_02: I thought okay this is perfect I have my song I can have more time with him but there were
[10:36] SPEAKER_02: other challenges of course but still it's nice to have that flexibility that when I really need to
[10:44] SPEAKER_02: be with him I can't do that you know like I can I can take the time to do that but yeah it's it's
[10:50] SPEAKER_02: it is it is hard there's always a balance to be trying to achieve you know like when you think
[10:57] SPEAKER_02: okay there is balance right now like everything is good you have a scale in the entrepreneur life
[11:03] SPEAKER_02: it's it's always changing for so many reasons but yeah we do as much as the best that we can
[11:12] SPEAKER_04: take me back a little bit of a from your journey so how does a how does that environmental engineer
[11:20] SPEAKER_02: become an entrepreneur yeah so my song basically when I became a mother I said okay I need I
[11:29] SPEAKER_02: wanted to have this time with him because before as an engineer I was working like way more than
[11:35] SPEAKER_02: eight hours per day but it was a lot so I don't know I just felt like it was time for me to because
[11:43] SPEAKER_02: I always wanted to do it anyways like when I was studying at university and I was working for other
[11:49] SPEAKER_02: companies I always was thinking oh my god at some point I want to have my own business or something
[11:56] SPEAKER_02: so I don't know maybe it was not the the it was just the timing that I got in my life so I say okay
[12:03] SPEAKER_02: this is the time so it was so creative but yeah a new baby a new business and everything but I
[12:12] SPEAKER_02: think I'm I'm okay with with my decisions right now I love the entrepreneur life I don't know
[12:18] SPEAKER_02: at some point I will be back to engineering right now I'm enjoying both businesses but I don't
[12:25] SPEAKER_02: close it all for that but yeah it's it's rewarding and it's yeah that that's basically just
[12:32] SPEAKER_02: just one the two seven Japanese to have more time with my son excellent now excuse me
[12:41] SPEAKER_04: you are you from Peru I am yeah where did you grow up in Lima yeah you're from Italy
[12:51] SPEAKER_04: families from Italy yeah but oh man I was I visited through oh gosh
[13:00] SPEAKER_04: third more than 30 years ago but I Lima is a city right then but right
[13:06] SPEAKER_02: here to Canada and why that's my such a wonder um so studies like I said I'm
[13:14] SPEAKER_02: I'm already an engineer from Peru and I came here to my masters in energy and environment which
[13:21] SPEAKER_02: is environmental engineering so I'm a environmental engineer from University of
[13:27] SPEAKER_02: Italy because of the masters and yeah I came for that I came for studies and then for works
[13:33] SPEAKER_02: because after the master I got hired by Ciche 20 which is Jacob's right now it's a EPC
[13:40] SPEAKER_02: criminal construction company so I work for the industry for a while for the big corporate
[13:48] SPEAKER_02: corporations yeah we'll have us so that was all my past life
[13:55] SPEAKER_04: what was your when you came to Calgary uh and and you started to work here what was your first
[14:01] SPEAKER_02: impressions of Calgary you know where when they came to Calgary 2008 this time I happened the years
[14:08] SPEAKER_02: right there was no people in downtown it was because I think they came in March 2008 yes and it was
[14:16] SPEAKER_02: like it was empty every no people on the streets yeah so it was it was nice to see this know you know
[14:27] SPEAKER_02: like I was all excited because we don't have a snow in Peru at least in Lima we never I never
[14:33] SPEAKER_02: see this snow you know it was the first time so the first one the first year and two years it was
[14:40] SPEAKER_02: like that like the shock of not having so many people around for bad the nice thing of having this
[14:46] SPEAKER_02: snow it's a very cool there are multicultural you know it's very nice to have this multicultural
[14:52] SPEAKER_02: environment I love it until today um but yeah I was just like that but after I was like oh my god
[14:59] SPEAKER_02: there's no uh please pass by you know so it was like oh it's cold you feel it after so many years
[15:08] SPEAKER_02: but yeah that was the first impression there were not many
[15:12] SPEAKER_02: stuff at there is right now the city has grown right now it's beautiful there is way more stuff to do
[15:18] SPEAKER_02: than before more restaurants um yeah but yeah in the beginning it was like it was like that now now
[15:26] SPEAKER_02: it's beautiful for me I like love it that there is way more things to do at least for me right now
[15:31] SPEAKER_04: yeah what do you like that you you're in the city hiking well not in the city but in the mountains
[15:38] SPEAKER_02: we're very close so lucky to be there and hiking I enjoy I live downtown currently like in the
[15:46] SPEAKER_02: here downtown I love downtown in summer it's so beautiful to go to the river you know it's
[15:52] SPEAKER_02: very beautiful the bike paths here uh all the green still you're in downtown and you see just
[15:58] SPEAKER_02: close a lot of green on the river you know it's beautiful yeah yeah that's really good
[16:05] SPEAKER_04: what should I do you think running a business while two businesses uh for you uh in Calgary
[16:12] SPEAKER_04: right what are the benefits of being an entrepreneur here you know with the beginning with uh with
[16:21] SPEAKER_02: yacaranda there were a lot of brands that I was able to get uh like digital marketing grants
[16:30] SPEAKER_02: you know in the very beginning so that that's good when you start a business as a entrepreneur you
[16:37] SPEAKER_02: have some like grants from the government if you qualify for it right like there are some
[16:42] SPEAKER_02: requirements that you need to qualify in my case I think it was because it was a woman business
[16:49] SPEAKER_02: on but also um an eco-friendly focus on sustainability and business so there there's a lot of
[16:56] SPEAKER_02: grants for that here in in Calgary I guess you know kind of uh which helps a lot um so I think there
[17:06] SPEAKER_02: is a really good support for entrepreneurs earlier entrepreneurs and it's nice to take it when you
[17:14] SPEAKER_02: start because after when you already have everything systems in place and everything you focus more
[17:20] SPEAKER_02: on the sales and getting funds you know what I mean like your efforts change a little bit so
[17:27] SPEAKER_02: that's a good thing here the the the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Calgary is really good
[17:34] SPEAKER_02: for people who are very supportive of each other you know referals so if you keep working here
[17:43] SPEAKER_03: it's a nice community yeah yeah yeah and uh do you ever go back to the prove visit I haven't been
[17:54] SPEAKER_02: there in a while but I want to go I want to take my son yeah he wants to go too so yeah we'll try to
[18:02] SPEAKER_04: go yeah one of my favorite places there I want to to see Machu Picchu which everybody else goes
[18:09] SPEAKER_02: every year go there yes yes of course way like when I was 15 or 16 years old I think it's nice
[18:19] SPEAKER_02: that you win right now it's very touristy it's full of people so I know it's very crowded now so
[18:24] SPEAKER_04: it's nice that we went before and to come back to what you were talking about earlier about the
[18:32] SPEAKER_04: material where so where exactly there's a come from in Peru where's it grown so I'm very sure it
[18:41] SPEAKER_02: comes from the north of Peru where organic cotton and conventional cotton all types of cotton grow
[18:47] SPEAKER_02: like in the north of Peru the cotton is really good that there is a variety that is
[18:55] SPEAKER_02: the cotton that is a long fiber so it doesn't break so it lasts for a long time so the quality of
[19:01] SPEAKER_02: the cotton is really good yeah so it's it's north of Peru yeah yeah that's as I said I was surprised
[19:11] SPEAKER_04: when you mentioned that because I didn't know that they had cotton growing there yeah yeah there is
[19:17] SPEAKER_02: also a lot of cotton in the USA it's different types you know like yeah yeah
[19:23] SPEAKER_04: is there anything else you you wanted to mention Cynthia?
[19:29] SPEAKER_02: yes I just launched a course through my Cynthia in digital marketing services
[19:37] SPEAKER_02: it's the visibility system course which I hope I can help to other entrepreneurs of people wanting
[19:46] SPEAKER_02: to position their businesses in the online world without spending on ads or without
[19:56] SPEAKER_02: burning themselves to keep posting alone on social media because that was the pain and the
[20:02] SPEAKER_02: struggle that I had as a small business owner so this course will give them the two kids and all
[20:11] SPEAKER_02: the system for them to to do that to learn how you have to do it right now in this AI area
[20:20] SPEAKER_02: generative engine optimization is GEO so it's very important that people need to work or
[20:27] SPEAKER_02: it right now because it's still new you know like when do you I don't know if you use chat dpt or
[20:34] SPEAKER_02: this um um Mario so you know when you ask for example okay recommend me some restaurants in Calgary
[20:42] SPEAKER_02: so chat dpt will tell you some of them right so right now there's there's more people using chat dpt
[20:49] SPEAKER_02: for recommendations because everything is in chat dpt very well organized as your needs compared to
[20:57] SPEAKER_02: so so this is the GEO so you get recommended by these AI tools so it's still very new
[21:06] SPEAKER_02: so I've been working on that over the last two or three months I guess I think yeah so right now
[21:13] SPEAKER_02: it's ready so I just launch it so yeah I hope people will enjoy and benefit from that so yeah
[21:22] SPEAKER_04: it's the final thing that's so wonderful thank you Cynthia for joining us today thank you Mario thank you
[21:30] SPEAKER_04: so much for your time okay that was Cynthia Navarrez who is a double business owner in Calgary one with
[21:38] SPEAKER_04: Jacaranda yoga an active wear brand clothing and also with Cynthia and dot CA at digital marketing
[21:47] SPEAKER_04: services company I'm Mario Toniguzi managing editor of Canada's entrepreneur thanks for joining us
[21:53] SPEAKER_04: today