Chelene Knight is a Prolific Author, Having Published Work in Various Canadian and American News and Literary Publications

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[00:00] SPEAKER_00: This podcast is sponsored by eBay Canada.
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[00:26] SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Canada's podcast.
[00:28] SPEAKER_00: The number one podcast for entrepreneurs and bi-entrepreneurs.
[00:34] SPEAKER_02: Hello, this is Robert Smigel, coming to today with a Vancouver's podcast.
[00:38] SPEAKER_02: A member of the Canada's podcast network where we talk to the entrepreneurs
[00:41] SPEAKER_02: who are making it happen here in Vancouver, British Columbia.
[00:45] SPEAKER_02: Shaleen Knight lives and writes in Vancouver.
[00:48] SPEAKER_02: She has published essays in the Globe and Mail,
[00:51] SPEAKER_02: the Toronto Star, and in various Canadian and American literary magazines.
[00:58] SPEAKER_02: Shaleen's work appears in many anthologies,
[01:01] SPEAKER_02: including making room, love me true, sustenance,
[01:05] SPEAKER_02: the song book, and black writers matter.
[01:08] SPEAKER_02: Shaleen's literary career includes being managing editor at Room Magazine,
[01:14] SPEAKER_02: the programming director for the Growing a Room Festival,
[01:17] SPEAKER_02: and CEO of Learn Writing Essentials.
[01:22] SPEAKER_02: Well, Shaleen, welcome to the show.
[01:24] SPEAKER_02: Thanks for taking the time today to be here for all listeners.
[01:28] SPEAKER_01: Oh, thank you so much for having me.
[01:30] SPEAKER_01: I am really excited about this.
[01:32] SPEAKER_02: Great. Well, tell us a little bit more about yourself,
[01:35] SPEAKER_02: where you're from, and give us the details on your current business.
[01:39] SPEAKER_01: Okay. So I can go ahead and say that I've been writing since I was a little girl.
[01:45] SPEAKER_01: So, you know, eight years old, having those notebooks, the pens,
[01:49] SPEAKER_01: and just always having my face buried in a book.
[01:53] SPEAKER_01: So that's kind of how I became this writer, right?
[01:56] SPEAKER_01: Just constantly being around words and loving language,
[02:00] SPEAKER_01: but really loving the way I could break the rules.
[02:03] SPEAKER_01: And I think that's a really important part of what I do,
[02:06] SPEAKER_01: is I teach people that, you know, you don't have to stick to a template for everything.
[02:11] SPEAKER_01: And I think that's where writing courses are a little bit different.
[02:14] SPEAKER_01: So I started out with that. I had this desire to write,
[02:17] SPEAKER_01: but, you know, after high school, I didn't dive into university right away.
[02:21] SPEAKER_01: I actually went to culinary school.
[02:23] SPEAKER_01: I don't know why. I think it was more of a pressure thing where my family was like,
[02:27] SPEAKER_01: oh, you know, you're such an amazing cook. Forget, forget writing.
[02:30] SPEAKER_01: You should be doing this. You should be a chef.
[02:32] SPEAKER_01: So I went to culinary school. I did that.
[02:35] SPEAKER_01: I love cooking, but I was completely bored with what I was learning,
[02:38] SPEAKER_01: because I felt like, okay, this is templated stuff, this is standard.
[02:42] SPEAKER_01: I already know this. What am I doing?
[02:44] SPEAKER_01: So it wasn't until I was in my late 20s,
[02:47] SPEAKER_01: where I really decided, okay, screw this.
[02:49] SPEAKER_01: I am going to do this writing thing that I've been,
[02:51] SPEAKER_01: I feel put on this birth to do.
[02:55] SPEAKER_01: So I started, you know, really easy and simple.
[02:57] SPEAKER_01: I was doing these really brief parenting articles.
[03:00] SPEAKER_01: I was getting paid for that work, you know, just in my spare time.
[03:03] SPEAKER_01: And then in 2013, I went to the writer's studio at SFU.
[03:07] SPEAKER_01: And that's when that light bulb moment kind of happened for me,
[03:10] SPEAKER_01: where I'm like, this is a career.
[03:12] SPEAKER_01: This is something I want to do.
[03:13] SPEAKER_01: I want to do something in publishing and writing.
[03:16] SPEAKER_01: So from there, it was pretty much like fire.
[03:19] SPEAKER_01: Like everything happened for me pretty quickly.
[03:21] SPEAKER_01: My first book came out in 2015.
[03:25] SPEAKER_01: Right after that, like a year and a half later,
[03:28] SPEAKER_01: I started working on a memoir.
[03:30] SPEAKER_01: And that's your current occupant.
[03:32] SPEAKER_01: And that was released just this year, this March in 2018.
[03:36] SPEAKER_01: And that book got so much attention.
[03:38] SPEAKER_01: It actually kind of blew me out of the water.
[03:40] SPEAKER_01: You know, folks were really interested
[03:42] SPEAKER_01: in this personal narrative.
[03:44] SPEAKER_01: And, you know, the way I'd structured the book,
[03:46] SPEAKER_01: it was totally out of the box.
[03:48] SPEAKER_01: You know, there's maps, there's photos, there's personal story,
[03:52] SPEAKER_01: there's essay, there's little bits of poetry.
[03:54] SPEAKER_01: And so it was kind of a memoir that maybe folks hadn't seen before.
[03:59] SPEAKER_01: So that was kind of like this awakening, you know,
[04:01] SPEAKER_01: and I started getting contacted about, you know,
[04:04] SPEAKER_01: oh, can you teach me this?
[04:06] SPEAKER_01: Or can you have a look at my manuscript?
[04:08] SPEAKER_01: Or can you come to our organization and give a talk
[04:11] SPEAKER_01: on how to write authentically?
[04:13] SPEAKER_01: And so all of these little bits and pieces started,
[04:15] SPEAKER_01: you know, happening and I thought, well, you know what?
[04:18] SPEAKER_01: I love all of this.
[04:19] SPEAKER_01: I love teaching in general.
[04:22] SPEAKER_01: And I'm making a little bit of money here.
[04:24] SPEAKER_01: Why don't I try to put this together into a business?
[04:27] SPEAKER_01: And so that's how it kind of took shape for me.
[04:30] SPEAKER_01: So learn writing essentials is essentially a boutique
[04:34] SPEAKER_01: creative writing studio that's made up of eCourses,
[04:38] SPEAKER_01: online workshops, presentations and talks
[04:41] SPEAKER_01: that I give in person.
[04:42] SPEAKER_01: I do mentorships for writing, copy writing for organizations,
[04:47] SPEAKER_01: and a whole bunch of other little things.
[04:48] SPEAKER_01: So really everything centers around the idea of teaching
[04:52] SPEAKER_01: authentically and learning and enhancing your writing.
[04:55] SPEAKER_01: So really I feel like this school kind of evolved out of all of that.
[04:59] SPEAKER_02: Okay. Now did you need financing to start your company?
[05:02] SPEAKER_02: And how do you currently make money in your business now?
[05:05] SPEAKER_01: Aha. That's a really good question.
[05:07] SPEAKER_01: And really since I'm just starting out,
[05:09] SPEAKER_01: it's kind of slow in terms of being able to live off of all of the income.
[05:15] SPEAKER_01: So I do still have my part time job, which I'm easing out of,
[05:18] SPEAKER_01: which is at the magazine.
[05:20] SPEAKER_01: But yeah, so a lot of the money comes from the self-paced courses,
[05:23] SPEAKER_01: which are now built.
[05:25] SPEAKER_01: So those kind of just exist on my website and people can purchase those.
[05:29] SPEAKER_01: And doing the presentations and keynotes and talks,
[05:31] SPEAKER_01: also a really, really good way of getting the word out there
[05:35] SPEAKER_01: and promoting the business and also making money at the same time.
[05:38] SPEAKER_01: So no financing. I haven't gone that far yet.
[05:41] SPEAKER_01: But who knows?
[05:42] SPEAKER_02: Okay. What is the long-term vision?
[05:44] SPEAKER_02: And what will your company look like in the future?
[05:47] SPEAKER_02: Do you see the company expanding into other areas
[05:49] SPEAKER_02: and where beyond Vancouver, BC or even Canada?
[05:52] SPEAKER_01: Yeah. And that's what I'm actually looking into now,
[05:55] SPEAKER_01: because I'm, you know, when I'm talking to people who are getting in touch,
[05:59] SPEAKER_01: I'm recognizing that some of these folks are in Canada,
[06:02] SPEAKER_01: but really there's a lot of people in Toronto.
[06:05] SPEAKER_01: There's some American folks getting in touch.
[06:07] SPEAKER_01: So I do see myself kind of branching out,
[06:10] SPEAKER_01: but I also want the business to essentially run itself.
[06:13] SPEAKER_01: So, you know, I want to include other facilitators.
[06:15] SPEAKER_01: I want to get some key staff or marketing and promotion.
[06:19] SPEAKER_01: And so I want to run the whole business,
[06:21] SPEAKER_01: but more of like a big picture mindset, a designing mindset, right?
[06:26] SPEAKER_01: So I'm definitely going to expand in the future,
[06:28] SPEAKER_01: but I think it's going to take some time.
[06:31] SPEAKER_02: Okay. Let's talk a little bit about doing business in Vancouver.
[06:34] SPEAKER_02: What are the biggest benefits for you and being an entrepreneur here in Vancouver, BC?
[06:38] SPEAKER_02: I want you to give us some of the good points about starting a company here,
[06:41] SPEAKER_02: but I also want you to give us some of the tough things or challenges for our listeners
[06:44] SPEAKER_02: so they can keep it out for them.
[06:47] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think that's a really tough question for me,
[06:50] SPEAKER_01: only because, you know, although I've traveled quite a bit throughout
[06:54] SPEAKER_01: been, you know, throughout Canada,
[06:55] SPEAKER_01: I've never really worked anywhere else other than Vancouver.
[06:59] SPEAKER_01: So to compare it to being an entrepreneur somewhere else
[07:03] SPEAKER_01: would be very difficult, but I will say that because I've lived and worked
[07:07] SPEAKER_01: here my whole life, that does give me the networking advantage of knowing
[07:11] SPEAKER_01: quite a few key players in the publishing industry
[07:13] SPEAKER_01: and then having good working relationships with them.
[07:16] SPEAKER_01: So kind of kind of able with that already built,
[07:18] SPEAKER_01: I think is really a big, big advantage.
[07:21] SPEAKER_01: So the networking that I've done over the past, you know,
[07:24] SPEAKER_01: 10 years has built me quite a list of incredible contacts.
[07:27] SPEAKER_01: And that would be the biggest asset, I think, right now.
[07:30] SPEAKER_01: And the great thing is I can take that wherever I'm going.
[07:32] SPEAKER_01: So if I decide to move somewhere, I still have that, you know,
[07:35] SPEAKER_01: that list of people I can get in touch with.
[07:38] SPEAKER_01: And the toughest thing really is Vancouver has so expensive,
[07:42] SPEAKER_01: you know, one of the most expensive cities in Canada,
[07:45] SPEAKER_01: you know, right up there with Toronto.
[07:46] SPEAKER_01: So, you know, the thought of moving has crossed my mind.
[07:50] SPEAKER_01: I will not lie about that.
[07:51] SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it is that the price of real estate is pretty extreme right this point.
[07:56] SPEAKER_02: So it's something we all entrepreneurs have to think about as we kind of go in
[08:00] SPEAKER_02: and staff and hiring people.
[08:01] SPEAKER_02: So, okay, we do some of our best work outside the office.
[08:05] SPEAKER_02: Is there a place in a lower mainline close to where you live or work,
[08:08] SPEAKER_02: where you like to go recharge or get inspired and think about ideas and your business?
[08:12] SPEAKER_02: And does it change with the season considering all the rain we get here?
[08:16] SPEAKER_01: Ah, I love this question.
[08:18] SPEAKER_01: And I think if I answer it, I'm going to give away my secret.
[08:22] SPEAKER_01: But what I like to do is I know a lot of folks like to take their,
[08:25] SPEAKER_01: you know, their laptops or a book and go into a cafe.
[08:28] SPEAKER_01: Well, I actually like to go to the local micro breweries and I'll sit there and,
[08:32] SPEAKER_01: you know, in the afternoons, they're really empty.
[08:34] SPEAKER_01: You have kind of a creative vibe in the air already.
[08:38] SPEAKER_01: And you know, you can have an afternoon beer or if you don't drink,
[08:41] SPEAKER_01: you can have a coffee or whatever.
[08:42] SPEAKER_01: But I think sitting in those breweries,
[08:45] SPEAKER_01: knowing that this is something specific to Vancouver,
[08:47] SPEAKER_01: I feel like I'm still in the city and connected,
[08:50] SPEAKER_01: but I'm also removed and I can just do whatever,
[08:52] SPEAKER_01: you know, work on something creative or just read.
[08:55] SPEAKER_01: So that's kind of my secret as I like to go and hang out in a micro brewery.
[08:59] SPEAKER_02: Ah, with all those great craft brews, fantastic.
[09:02] SPEAKER_02: Mm-hmm.
[09:03] SPEAKER_02: Those are good.
[09:03] SPEAKER_02: Okay, we have a lot of international listeners.
[09:06] SPEAKER_02: So this next question I want you to speak to them.
[09:09] SPEAKER_02: If you were to start all over again and you just moved here to Vancouver,
[09:12] SPEAKER_02: BC, but this time you don't know anyone, knowing what you know now,
[09:16] SPEAKER_02: what would you do and how would you go about starting all over again as an entrepreneur?
[09:22] SPEAKER_01: Oh my gosh, I think the first thing I would do is I would plan all of my content in advance.
[09:28] SPEAKER_01: So a lot of the course, you know, content that I created was built upon knowing people
[09:33] SPEAKER_01: and knowing what they wanted to learn and kind of already having that.
[09:37] SPEAKER_01: So I would definitely plan all of that in advance and just come ready to present
[09:40] SPEAKER_01: and come ready to deliver all of this.
[09:43] SPEAKER_01: So doing it as you go, like I'm doing right now,
[09:45] SPEAKER_01: because I'm just starting, it's kind of like driving a car while it's still being built.
[09:50] SPEAKER_01: So, you know, scheduling and batching content would be key for me.
[09:54] SPEAKER_01: And just knowing what I know now, that would definitely be the biggest change for me.
[09:58] SPEAKER_02: Okay, let's talk a little bit about your routine.
[10:01] SPEAKER_02: What does the first hour look like for you when you get up in the morning?
[10:03] SPEAKER_02: Do you have a specific routine or a ritual that helps you get motivated to start your day?
[10:08] SPEAKER_01: Hmm.
[10:09] SPEAKER_01: Well, when I first get up, of course, coffee, I think, is on everyone's mind.
[10:14] SPEAKER_01: But I think my first hour is not really my first hour.
[10:17] SPEAKER_01: So I have a dog and I'm a parent.
[10:19] SPEAKER_01: So there's always a few things I have to queue first.
[10:22] SPEAKER_01: But I think my first hour starts two hours after I get up.
[10:26] SPEAKER_01: So I take, you know, 930 or 1030 to 1130-ish and I go and do a fitness class in these
[10:32] SPEAKER_01: infrared heated rooms.
[10:34] SPEAKER_01: And so it's like you're getting all of your frustrations out,
[10:37] SPEAKER_01: but you're also getting your workout in, you know, super early and your mind is pretty clear
[10:41] SPEAKER_01: to forge ahead and do everything you have to do that day.
[10:44] SPEAKER_01: So that's pretty much my routine.
[10:46] SPEAKER_01: And if that is thrown off, then the whole day is thrown off.
[10:50] SPEAKER_01: I have noticed because yesterday that happened to me where I didn't get to do my one-hour
[10:54] SPEAKER_01: class and just everything was weird that day.
[10:57] SPEAKER_01: So I think routine is really, really important.
[11:00] SPEAKER_02: Right. And you kind of take off the things that you need to do.
[11:02] SPEAKER_02: So it kind of sets the tone for the day, doesn't it?
[11:06] SPEAKER_02: That's right.
[11:07] SPEAKER_02: Okay. Do you think entrepreneurs have to be weird or unique in a positive way or are wired
[11:13] SPEAKER_02: differently?
[11:16] SPEAKER_01: I 100% actually, you know, and being the only, I guess, entrepreneur in my family,
[11:22] SPEAKER_01: I feel like the odd one out.
[11:24] SPEAKER_01: I feel like I have to explain everything.
[11:27] SPEAKER_01: And so I think to be a successful entrepreneur, you have to really be able to take risks,
[11:32] SPEAKER_01: you know, and be willing to take risks.
[11:34] SPEAKER_01: And you need to think outside that 9 to 5.
[11:37] SPEAKER_01: So there's no, you know, there's not going to be anyone scheduling your day for you.
[11:41] SPEAKER_01: There's really no punching out at 5.
[11:44] SPEAKER_01: You know, no one's going to tell you when to take your breaks or when to eat lunch.
[11:47] SPEAKER_01: And it's kind of like now you're on your own and you have to be able to do the work.
[11:52] SPEAKER_01: You know, and I have this conversation with somebody about, you know, well,
[11:56] SPEAKER_01: are you really an entrepreneur?
[11:58] SPEAKER_01: You're just real freelancing.
[11:59] SPEAKER_01: That's all you're doing.
[12:00] SPEAKER_01: But I think the idea is that you're building something bigger than yourself.
[12:04] SPEAKER_01: And I think essentially that's the difference between the two.
[12:07] SPEAKER_01: So you're building this empire almost versus just working,
[12:10] SPEAKER_01: you know, whenever they're there, there happens to be some work.
[12:13] SPEAKER_01: So if you're thinking big picture, you're thinking future long-term vision,
[12:17] SPEAKER_01: you have to be able to see past today to be able to operate tomorrow, right?
[12:23] SPEAKER_01: So it's definitely a different mindset, I would say.
[12:26] SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think you nailed it there.
[12:27] SPEAKER_02: You're doing something bigger than yourself.
[12:29] SPEAKER_02: And it's leading to something that is, you know, not as aspirational,
[12:33] SPEAKER_02: but is a major goal in whether it's a company or a books or,
[12:37] SPEAKER_02: but it's something that you're leading up to.
[12:40] SPEAKER_02: Okay. Now, as a writer, what books are you reading now and why or even audio books?
[12:46] SPEAKER_02: And can you recommend any books for our listeners who are also aspiring entrepreneurs?
[12:50] SPEAKER_01: This is a really bad question to ask a writer because you'll be automatically
[12:54] SPEAKER_01: locked into a three-hour conversation with me because, you know,
[12:58] SPEAKER_01: but I will shorten it.
[13:01] SPEAKER_01: So in terms of business books, right now I'm reading clockwork by Mike,
[13:06] SPEAKER_01: Mike, I don't know how to say his last name, Mike Aloitz,
[13:09] SPEAKER_01: but it's been super, super helpful to me as a newer entrepreneur in terms of,
[13:13] SPEAKER_01: you know, how to set yourself up to focus on the areas of your business that you want to kind of
[13:18] SPEAKER_01: take to another level. So learning to define what your key roles are and how to protect that
[13:23] SPEAKER_01: as an asset. So, you know, if you're working just for yourself and just buy yourself,
[13:28] SPEAKER_01: you kind of think, oh, well, you know, I don't have any real assets to protect in this business.
[13:32] SPEAKER_01: I don't have an office or I don't have, you know, machinery or staff or anything, but,
[13:36] SPEAKER_01: you know, you have a key role that without that role your business would not exist. So,
[13:41] SPEAKER_01: this book kind of teaches you how to protect that as your biggest asset. And I think that was
[13:45] SPEAKER_01: just beautiful and eye-opening for me because I realized, yes, I have to invest in myself
[13:50] SPEAKER_01: for my business and then everything else will kind of stem off of that. It's just really
[13:55] SPEAKER_01: an amazing, amazing book and also a lot of podcasts. So I'm listening to modern CEO with Amber
[14:01] SPEAKER_01: McHugh. I'm listening to Screw the 9 to 5, which is basically like real talk how to do, you know,
[14:08] SPEAKER_01: how to shift into that entrepreneur mindset, which has been really helpful to me as well. So,
[14:13] SPEAKER_01: so many great books out there, so many great podcasts. And I think it's just the idea of sharing
[14:18] SPEAKER_01: personal stories and experiences that really helps. It's not, you know, reading books that people
[14:24] SPEAKER_01: are not trying to talk down to you versus having someone say, hey, listen to me, let me share that
[14:29] SPEAKER_01: experience with you. And that's also opening a door and kind of welcoming other entrepreneurs
[14:34] SPEAKER_01: into your world, into your brain. And I think that's a beautiful way to to attack things.
[14:39] SPEAKER_02: Yeah. And as we were talking earlier, you mentioned you listen to Canada's podcast,
[14:43] SPEAKER_02: and you're listening to one of the entrepreneurs from Toronto, which had similar, I guess,
[14:46] SPEAKER_02: work ethic as you on an organization. So that's interesting to see. And that's another thing. Yeah.
[14:51] SPEAKER_01: It kind of knocks the isolation factor out of there when you hear, you know, someone operates
[14:56] SPEAKER_01: just like you. So when I heard Mallory McEwen, and she mentioned that she goes right to that task
[15:01] SPEAKER_01: counter, and she's super organized, and she starts her day hour earlier, you know, in the rest of her
[15:06] SPEAKER_01: staff, just to kind of get in that mindset. And to me, that's a real leader, you know, setting
[15:10] SPEAKER_01: herself up for success, but making sure that her staff has everything that they need to do what
[15:15] SPEAKER_01: they have to do. And so that really resonated with me. Okay. Any online or offline tools that you use
[15:22] SPEAKER_02: on a daily basis can be obviously a writer. So do you what you use word on Microsoft Office?
[15:27] SPEAKER_01: What are you using to write on typewriter? Oh, no. That would take forever. I definitely use,
[15:33] SPEAKER_01: I definitely use word. I love Google Docs. I had probably have about 300 going right now,
[15:38] SPEAKER_01: but for organization wise, I use Slack quite a bit. So, you know, if I'm working with a writer,
[15:44] SPEAKER_01: I'll open us a Slack page and we'll kind of go back and forth there. So we have, and it also acts
[15:49] SPEAKER_01: as a virtual file app, and it's right. So we've got all of our documents stored that we can both
[15:53] SPEAKER_01: access. I use Zoom quite a bit, which is a, you know, a virtual classroom for me when I do workshop.
[16:00] SPEAKER_01: So that's really useful. And for organization, WonderList is like, I have an assistant
[16:05] SPEAKER_01: by my side at a whole times, basically telling me what I need to do. And it's a wonderful,
[16:11] SPEAKER_01: wonderful app, and it's so simple. It's basically like to do list, but organize and folders,
[16:16] SPEAKER_02: and it's absolutely incredible. I love it. WonderList, is that a new, it's cool?
[16:20] SPEAKER_01: Yeah. So it's like you can have your to-do list, and even if you have 400 things, it breaks it,
[16:26] SPEAKER_01: and so you only see what you have to do right now, and it tucks the rest away. So it's out of your
[16:31] SPEAKER_01: mind, and it's in some platform somewhere. Okay, I have to check that out.
[16:37] SPEAKER_00: This podcast is sponsored by eBay Canada. eBay Canada is powering Canadian small businesses.
[16:43] SPEAKER_00: Go to eBay.ca slash up and running to open your online shop.
[16:49] SPEAKER_02: As we all know, Vancouver is a very lifestyle oriented city, people are very outgoing,
[16:54] SPEAKER_02: exercises key, and so as entrepreneurs, we need to balance our lives. How do you balance work
[17:00] SPEAKER_02: and how do you relax and not think about work? And what are your favorite activities to do here
[17:03] SPEAKER_02: and be seated? Do you ski? Do you bike, kayak, golf, hike, or simply go for a drive?
[17:08] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think for me, because I'm just starting out, I feel like the business is always on my mind
[17:15] SPEAKER_01: regardless, so it's hard for me to really relax, and I also think they're connected quite a bit
[17:19] SPEAKER_01: anyway. You know, you can't take the ideas out of your head. So what I try to do is turn off email,
[17:24] SPEAKER_01: turn off my phone, and just kind of sit somewhere, and know that I don't have to do anything. So I like
[17:29] SPEAKER_01: to just sit, you know, on park benches, and just kind of relax, or people watch is a cool thing.
[17:33] SPEAKER_01: And I know it's terrible to say, but I live in Vancouver, I've been here my whole life, I've not
[17:39] SPEAKER_01: really an outdoorsy person, so I don't hike, I don't ski, I don't do anything super, super outdoor
[17:45] SPEAKER_01: active, and people always kind of, you know, raise their eyebrows at that, but you know, it is
[17:50] SPEAKER_02: what it is. Yeah, it is, yeah, it's good to see the other side, you know, it doesn't have to always
[17:55] SPEAKER_02: be going to do stuff, that's good, you need variety in the city, so that's right, that's right.
[18:00] SPEAKER_02: Okay, if you weren't doing what you do now, what would you like to do for a profession?
[18:05] SPEAKER_01: Hmm, well, like I said in the beginning, I did start in the culinary arts, so I do love to cook,
[18:12] SPEAKER_01: but I really don't like to follow recipes, so I would probably be cooking, but I would be creating
[18:18] SPEAKER_01: these super weird dishes that, you know, people haven't seen before, and totally just freeballing it.
[18:24] SPEAKER_01: So no recipes, just kind of seeing what I can put together with certain ingredients, you know,
[18:29] SPEAKER_01: I think that'd be, and it's also really creative too.
[18:31] SPEAKER_02: Kind of a job would you not like to do, could not do it?
[18:35] SPEAKER_01: Hmm, I think anything where I would have to be outside in the cold for long periods of time,
[18:42] SPEAKER_01: so I definitely couldn't do any construction, or anything like that, so I need to be warm and
[18:47] SPEAKER_01: cozy, and yeah, so I really, you know, tip my hat to people who can work outdoors for hours and
[18:54] SPEAKER_01: hours and hours, I don't know how they do it. In business, what is your favorite word?
[18:59] SPEAKER_02: Quote or sentence that you like to use?
[19:02] SPEAKER_01: I guess I would say love what you do, you know, I think so often we do jobs that we feel we have to do,
[19:09] SPEAKER_01: or out of necessity, really, just to earn a paycheck, but if you can truly love what you do,
[19:14] SPEAKER_01: then I think that's what we're here to do is to enjoy life, you know, so even if you're,
[19:19] SPEAKER_01: you know, an entrepreneur, but you're in a job where you're like, just kind of not feeling this,
[19:23] SPEAKER_01: I think the best thing to do is find an aspect of that job that you love and focus on that,
[19:28] SPEAKER_01: and really just try to go in with a positive attitude every day.
[19:32] SPEAKER_02: What is your least favorite word or sentence you do not like to hear?
[19:36] SPEAKER_01: Oh, that one's easy. You can sleep when you're dead, you know, I don't, I really think like,
[19:42] SPEAKER_01: as entrepreneurs, like at least when we first start out, it becomes ingrained that we have to work 24
[19:47] SPEAKER_01: seven, but guess what? I don't think that's healthy for anyone, so we have to remember to take care
[19:51] SPEAKER_01: of our minds and our bodies and rest, and you know, that's why that idea of that fitness class
[19:56] SPEAKER_01: was so so important to me because that's my self-care and that's how I start my day.
[20:01] SPEAKER_01: So I think it self-care quickly becomes a privilege, but I hope that changes and we start talking,
[20:07] SPEAKER_01: you know, more openly about how working a lot affects our bodies and our minds because we
[20:11] SPEAKER_01: cannot work 24 seven. So that's pull you can sleep when you're dead, thing is like, no, no, no,
[20:16] SPEAKER_02: I'm going to sleep now. Right, I need my rest. Well, that's good too because your body does need
[20:21] SPEAKER_02: to rejuvenate, right? I mean, we are human and having fresh eyes and a fresh brain in the
[20:27] SPEAKER_02: morning is better for your business anyways. If you had to pick one or two words to describe
[20:33] SPEAKER_01: yourself, what would it be and why? I would say leader, I think no matter what I'm doing, I think
[20:39] SPEAKER_01: about how I can shape it so that folks around me can learn something. So I think that's also my
[20:44] SPEAKER_01: drive is that constant learning and that desire to teach something. I always want to teach and learn
[20:49] SPEAKER_01: at the same time. And, you know, so I'm really, really good at acknowledging and openly talking
[20:54] SPEAKER_01: about my weaknesses, which is something all leaders, I feel need to be able to do. So if you cannot see
[21:01] SPEAKER_01: your weaknesses right alongside your strengths, then you will not be able to build a team that
[21:07] SPEAKER_01: complements each other. So a strong team to me is built by making sure that all the pieces fit.
[21:13] SPEAKER_01: So if I have a weakness and I know that my partner in crime has the strength there and we put each
[21:19] SPEAKER_01: other in the same room all of a sudden you have this undefeatable force, right? So I try to think
[21:25] SPEAKER_01: along the side, along the lines of leading and putting together, putting teams together in that way.
[21:30] SPEAKER_02: Okay, speaking of sleep earlier, what keeps you up at night if anything?
[21:36] SPEAKER_01: Oh, definitely, I think probably everybody says this, but it's definitely ideas, you know,
[21:41] SPEAKER_01: on the possibilities of the future and just kind of, especially when you're just starting out,
[21:45] SPEAKER_01: you're thinking about, oh, I can do this next or maybe I'll try this. And so you want to get up and
[21:50] SPEAKER_01: jot something down. So I mean, I guess it's better than being worried about, you know, I want to get
[21:55] SPEAKER_01: up and go to that job. I can't stand, you know, so it's definitely good to not sleep when you're,
[22:01] SPEAKER_02: when this is your, your only worry at night. Okay, I want you to give us the top three things on your
[22:06] SPEAKER_02: inspired lifeless. This could be whether you want to do a TEDx talk, you want to travel more,
[22:11] SPEAKER_01: plan to pee, anything like that. I think I would say, I would definitely want to travel more.
[22:19] SPEAKER_01: I would love to go to Australia, definitely want to go to Ireland as if you places I want to go
[22:24] SPEAKER_01: outside of Canada. So I'm kind of in that international travel vibe mode right now. So definitely
[22:30] SPEAKER_01: that. And, you know, writing books, I've done that, continue to do that. I would love to do a TEDx
[22:35] SPEAKER_01: talk. That would be really fantastic, you know, but I'd be a little nervous because the crowds would
[22:40] SPEAKER_01: be quite large, right? The audiences are like vast. So I'd have to work my way up to that.
[22:46] SPEAKER_02: What would you talk about if you had a pick a subject? That's another good question.
[22:50] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, I would love to talk about something I don't normally talk about. So I talk a lot
[22:55] SPEAKER_01: about community building and writing, writing authentically. So I don't know, something just
[22:59] SPEAKER_01: totally out of the box that, you know, just to kind of shake things up and put myself out of my
[23:04] SPEAKER_02: comfort zone, but I don't know. So get on. Okay. Do you have any advice that you may have received
[23:11] SPEAKER_02: that you can pass on to entrepreneurs throughout British Columbia?
[23:15] SPEAKER_01: I don't think this is necessarily advice that I've received, but it's something that I've experienced.
[23:20] SPEAKER_01: And so I kind of hold close to me now that I'm starting out, I would say get rid of all the toxicity
[23:26] SPEAKER_01: in your life. So that includes people who do not understand why you do what you do. They will
[23:32] SPEAKER_01: embed their negativity in your brain and it will be really hard to shake. So I think this kind of
[23:37] SPEAKER_01: ties right into that who entrepreneurs need to be and why they're why are different, you know,
[23:43] SPEAKER_01: because it can sometimes be really hard to share your motivations and your ambitions around your
[23:48] SPEAKER_01: business with folks who believe heavily in that nine to five mindset, right? So they might say
[23:53] SPEAKER_01: things like, oh, you're not going to make money. Why are you giving up a stable job? Why are you doing
[23:57] SPEAKER_01: this? And they're really just dampening what you're doing. So I think the biggest piece of advice is
[24:01] SPEAKER_01: to kind of rid yourself of that, you know, and if you have to separate yourself from family and
[24:05] SPEAKER_01: close friends for a while, just to sort of do what you do, then I think that's really important for
[24:10] SPEAKER_02: you in your business. Okay, Shaline, are you ready to have some fun? Yes. Good. Okay. As you know,
[24:17] SPEAKER_02: entrepreneurs are very, very busy. People were always on the go and were always connected online.
[24:22] SPEAKER_02: But we're going to take you away from all that. There's a small tropical island just off of Fiji
[24:26] SPEAKER_02: that only has one phone booth there. There is no internet. This place does exist.
[24:31] SPEAKER_02: We're going to drop you off there. You won't have a computer or smartphone or a tablet. You can
[24:35] SPEAKER_02: use the phone booth located there anytime to call the boat. We'll come pick you up. How long would
[24:41] SPEAKER_02: you last before you made that call? What would you do while you were there? You know what? I think
[24:47] SPEAKER_01: I would stay there until I finished my novel. I mean, I have a computer, but I have I could have
[24:52] SPEAKER_01: a notebook and a pen because, you know, yeah, I would probably stay there, you know, maybe a good
[24:58] SPEAKER_01: year. I think you're going to be able to get my novel in. Yeah. I know. It's not what people usually
[25:03] SPEAKER_02: say. We get a variety. It's quiet time. Yeah. And as long as everything's taken care of and I guess
[25:09] SPEAKER_02: you're comfortable with the online part, I mean, being not connected, that's okay with you.
[25:15] SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah. That's totally fine. I think I'm actually really good at that when I cut myself off
[25:19] SPEAKER_01: from, you know, emails and internet. I'm totally fine. Great. Okay. We're going to wrap things up
[25:24] SPEAKER_02: here. How can our listeners get whole of you? And is there anything you'd like to add before
[25:28] SPEAKER_01: you leave us today? Yeah. Folks can go to my website so that's chelene night dot com. So c-h-e-l-e-n-e night dot com.
[25:38] SPEAKER_01: And sign up for my weekly VIP newsletter. That would be really helpful. And I would love to connect
[25:42] SPEAKER_01: with with people that way. And so right now, one of my self-paced courses, right Polish publishes open.
[25:48] SPEAKER_01: And so I'm taking animals, also taking applications for my memoir workshop. So everything's on my website.
[25:53] SPEAKER_02: Awesome. Okay. Well, thank you for coming on the show. I've learned a lot about you and I'm sure
[25:58] SPEAKER_01: our listeners have as well. Awesome. Thank you so much for having me.
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