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TRANSCRIPTION WITH SPEAKERS
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[00:00] SPEAKER_00: It's Calgary's podcast on the Canada's podcast network.
[00:16] SPEAKER_01: Hello, this is Mario Tonic.
[00:18] SPEAKER_01: He's coming to you today with Calgary's podcast on member of Canada's podcast network,
[00:24] SPEAKER_01: where we talk to the entrepreneurs who are making it happen in Calgary, Albert.
[00:27] SPEAKER_01: So you can listen, discover and engage.
[00:32] SPEAKER_01: Today's guest is Monica Kretchmer, founder and CEO of Canadian Business Chicks.
[00:38] SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the show of Monica and thanks for taking the time today to be here for our
[00:42] SPEAKER_01: listeners.
[00:43] SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much, wonderful to be here.
[00:45] SPEAKER_01: Tell us a little bit about Canadian Business Chicks, its history and how it started.
[00:50] SPEAKER_02: So this is a really great year for us, it's year five.
[00:55] SPEAKER_02: So I don't know if those listeners that you have are kind of going back to that very
[00:59] SPEAKER_02: first day that they made the decision to jump into those uncharted waters, but this year
[01:05] SPEAKER_02: was year five for us.
[01:06] SPEAKER_02: We started actually in Rocky Mountain, in the Rocky Mountains of Camor, Alberta and
[01:12] SPEAKER_02: I launched at the Rocky Mountains of Company Race and you know, I always had it in my
[01:18] SPEAKER_02: mind that I would launch the company with 2500 women and I had a great big lofty goal
[01:26] SPEAKER_02: of getting a 1% of those more to be my customers or members of Canadian Business Chicks.
[01:33] SPEAKER_02: And you know, I haven't looked back.
[01:35] SPEAKER_02: So that was the very first step that we took, you know, as far as building community, I
[01:41] SPEAKER_02: thought that was a great place because of the diversity of the crowd, those are the
[01:45] SPEAKER_02: things that are really one of our core values of collaboration and diversity.
[01:50] SPEAKER_02: And I've built the company really on bringing together women that have the same value set
[01:56] SPEAKER_02: of courage, confidence, commitment to integrity.
[01:59] SPEAKER_01: So how does it work?
[02:01] SPEAKER_01: Like what does it actually do?
[02:02] SPEAKER_02: So we have created or I have created, you know, it's always funny when we talk to entrepreneurs
[02:08] SPEAKER_02: that are like, we, you know, most of the time it starts with one person.
[02:11] SPEAKER_02: So I'm going to own that one person phrases.
[02:14] SPEAKER_02: I've created this multi-marketing platform.
[02:18] SPEAKER_02: So we have events, live events, we have in-person events.
[02:22] SPEAKER_02: I have a mentorship program and of course, nothing was developed overnight.
[02:27] SPEAKER_02: This was all part of the vision from the onset.
[02:30] SPEAKER_02: And you know, Mario, it's really different because the business that I created was really,
[02:37] SPEAKER_02: you know, if I had pencils to sell, I could show you my pencil.
[02:40] SPEAKER_02: But I had to actually make the pencil and then sell you the pencil.
[02:43] SPEAKER_02: So it's been a really incredible journey to number one, create a community and then create a product
[02:49] SPEAKER_02: and a service to sell, which is helping and support women.
[02:53] SPEAKER_01: Tell me what you think, the benefits of doing business in Calgary are these days.
[02:58] SPEAKER_02: This city has so much of an entrepreneurial vibe to it.
[03:03] SPEAKER_02: Not only entrepreneurial and people of business mind it, but everybody wants to help and support you.
[03:07] SPEAKER_02: They're your champions, they become your friends.
[03:10] SPEAKER_02: And I mean, it's not like we have a really small city.
[03:12] SPEAKER_02: Or cities like 1.4 million people in this city, but it really plays out like a small town.
[03:20] SPEAKER_02: So everybody really knows everybody and you know, people share your struggles.
[03:25] SPEAKER_02: They want you to succeed.
[03:26] SPEAKER_02: And I think that's really what is so attractive to Calgary and what sets us apart
[03:30] SPEAKER_02: from the other cities across Canada is that big city small town feeling.
[03:36] SPEAKER_01: What about challenge yourself?
[03:38] SPEAKER_02: That's also that's kind of like that chicken in the egg is the challenge because you need that
[03:44] SPEAKER_02: diversity. You need to grow. You need to expand. Of course, I think that for large companies wanting
[03:51] SPEAKER_02: to get that culture built, it's a great place to kind of branch into, but I think that we do
[03:58] SPEAKER_02: need to grow. We do need to bring others to let them know what we have to offer and we need to
[04:02] SPEAKER_02: offer our services elsewhere as well. So that's where the bit of the crunch comes is,
[04:07] SPEAKER_02: you know, we still are pretty small and we do need to get our voice out there and show everybody
[04:12] SPEAKER_01: else what we're doing here. Why would you recommend Calgary to entrepreneurs who are starting
[04:17] SPEAKER_02: up a business? Well, there's lots and lots of support here. I think from, you know, I know that
[04:24] SPEAKER_02: we have a mentorship program, but you know, there's no shortage of people that if you ask for help,
[04:30] SPEAKER_01: that they're willing to give it. Now, some of our best ideas come when we least expect them,
[04:37] SPEAKER_01: you know, outside of an office environment like where do you go to recharge or think about your
[04:43] SPEAKER_02: business in a different way and get inspired? That's a load of question because I think I walk,
[04:49] SPEAKER_02: my personal and my business life all is so well together. I don't think that there's one day,
[04:56] SPEAKER_02: one hour in the day, that I don't really think about my business and about that bigger vision.
[05:00] SPEAKER_02: But when I do need to recharge, it's usually on the bike path, usually with my dog close to water
[05:06] SPEAKER_02: along the river. That fresh air seems to really, you know, when I get all wound up and excited
[05:13] SPEAKER_02: about something, it just kind of simmers me down and it's almost meditated. It gets me into a
[05:18] SPEAKER_01: meditation state. So what are your most excited about Canadian business checks these days?
[05:24] SPEAKER_02: My word for this year, do you have one of those, Maria? What's your word for this year?
[05:28] SPEAKER_02: I'll have to think about that one. Okay, I'll answer my question that I want to hear about your word,
[05:32] SPEAKER_02: but this year, the word for me was evolve. I knew that at five years into the business, it would be a
[05:40] SPEAKER_02: growth year for me and also a year to sort of take everything that I've learned up to this point
[05:48] SPEAKER_02: and evolve it to the next level. I thought that was really important to really stand back and look
[05:55] SPEAKER_02: at the milestones and then go, okay, what can we do next? And so part of the evolution, which I'm
[05:59] SPEAKER_02: so excited about, is that I'm really going to open up the doors to not only empower women
[06:05] SPEAKER_02: and elevate those female role models local, nationally and then globally, but I want to also invite
[06:11] SPEAKER_02: the conversation for men to be able to know what they're, how they're supposed to support women
[06:17] SPEAKER_02: in those roles. I think so that's part of our evolution for our brand. We're doing a complete brand
[06:22] SPEAKER_02: relaunch around this time of women of inspiration in October, which really speaks to that
[06:30] SPEAKER_01: empowering women and then that support her. And what about your vision, you know, for the coming
[06:35] SPEAKER_02: years, I guess, for the well, that is to keep elevating female role models, Mario, I, you know,
[06:44] SPEAKER_02: stemmed on that with my woman of inspiration awards program, which started with one woman,
[06:50] SPEAKER_02: which is now evolved into a nationally event with 23 diverse categories. So really through
[06:57] SPEAKER_02: celebration, we champion for each other and we gain the visibility so that people know about
[07:03] SPEAKER_01: our brilliance. Okay, what's been your greatest challenge to overcome in setting this up over
[07:10] SPEAKER_02: the last five years? You know, everybody wants you to be a proven success. I think that's probably
[07:16] SPEAKER_02: one of the biggest stumbling blocks when I look back and it's continually a hustle. It's there's,
[07:22] SPEAKER_02: I don't think we ever get through business and there's not a hustle, but I think that is,
[07:27] SPEAKER_02: it's really going down that journey and getting up every single day and going, I'm going to do it.
[07:33] SPEAKER_02: Ignore the naysayers and just go out with your complete vision and not giving up.
[07:40] SPEAKER_02: Just knowing that you have to prove yourself and it's okay to prove yourself.
[07:44] SPEAKER_02: So it's just to continue journey and you know, you have to love what you do.
[07:50] SPEAKER_01: So when you look back in hindsight knowing what you know now, would you do anything differently
[07:57] SPEAKER_02: for when you first started? Absolutely, there's lots of things I would do differently.
[08:02] SPEAKER_02: Marketing 101, you know, I went out doing events and you know, I wasn't really zeroing into the
[08:08] SPEAKER_02: right market for the events that I was doing. So I wasted time that was, you know, if I look back,
[08:14] SPEAKER_02: it's also kind of the learning curve as well. So I think really being focused and being very clear
[08:21] SPEAKER_02: of the market was very, was probably one of the biggest learning curves, but I have to say moving
[08:26] SPEAKER_02: forward that it's, you know, being a smaller growing company were able to be nimble. So embracing
[08:34] SPEAKER_01: changes always part of my philosophy. As an entrepreneur, what's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
[08:41] SPEAKER_02: Ignore the naysayers. You're the one that knows your business better than anybody else and don't
[08:46] SPEAKER_01: let anybody, anybody tell you differently. Okay, I'm going to switch gears. Got you a couple of
[08:52] SPEAKER_01: personal type questions. What's on your bucket list these days? Everybody seems to have one.
[08:58] SPEAKER_02: Oh my goodness. Getting through women of inspiration only 12 weeks away.
[09:02] SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, gosh, that's a good question. Like so as you want to go, people who want to see
[09:08] SPEAKER_02: things you want to do. Well, Africa is still big on my list. I know I had a retreat set that I was
[09:15] SPEAKER_02: supposed to go on in the summer here. It just, my schedule is way too busy. You know, I wanted to
[09:21] SPEAKER_02: take a group of women. So I wanted to do an experience. You know, I'm really craving that experience
[09:25] SPEAKER_02: because I have to say that I really haven't had that since I launched my business and I'm not
[09:30] SPEAKER_02: complaining about that. I love every single day and the work and the long hours I put into. But
[09:35] SPEAKER_02: I really want to do a retreat as far away to taste the culture of a different place and bring some
[09:42] SPEAKER_01: different perspective. All right. Cool. So if you weren't doing what you're doing now,
[09:47] SPEAKER_01: any thoughts of what kind of a career profession you'd be in?
[09:52] SPEAKER_02: You know, that's a good question. I started a foundation in 2017 and if I wasn't really solely focused
[09:59] SPEAKER_02: on building my brand and woman of inspiration, elevating female role models, I think that I would
[10:05] SPEAKER_02: probably be really, really focused on building the foundation, which is to empower women to
[10:12] SPEAKER_02: rebuild their lives. So I'd be probably, you know, in some capacity working for the UN.
[10:16] SPEAKER_01: Oh, okay. What book are you reading these days?
[10:20] SPEAKER_02: Oh, the book that I'm reading these days, let me see here. I've got about four of them on my
[10:24] SPEAKER_02: shelf. Brenny Brown is definitely one of them dare to lead. I always skip through pages and pick up
[10:31] SPEAKER_02: the juicy ones and then close it up and move on to the netherbrook. I also have a book by Richard
[10:37] SPEAKER_02: Nezbet and he's written about how to empower men to lead because I think that's a really great
[10:43] SPEAKER_02: conversation. So it's called results from the top. And I just have another sort of more
[10:50] SPEAKER_02: spiritual one and it's, the universe has your back because I think it's really important to know
[10:55] SPEAKER_02: that whatever decision make, we're all guided by a bigger being. And so I always like to flip that
[11:01] SPEAKER_02: one open and take out some juicy pieces and use that for inspiration.
[11:07] SPEAKER_01: If you had one word that you would pick to describe yourself, what would it be in line?
[11:14] SPEAKER_02: Okay, so this is a great word for me. I love it. Resilient. I think that it really embodies
[11:24] SPEAKER_02: my journey, especially in the past 12 years, is being a very resilient person. I believe that
[11:32] SPEAKER_02: you know, life throws you challenges and your story is, you know, the adversity that you go
[11:37] SPEAKER_02: through is for a reason, but you become resilient because the choice that you make and what you
[11:42] SPEAKER_01: choose to do with that story. Is there anything that keeps you up at night these days?
[11:48] SPEAKER_02: No, by the time I'm ready to turn off that computer, it's lights out for me.
[11:53] SPEAKER_01: Now, outside of Calgary, is there a favorite place that you'd like to go to spend time at?
[12:01] SPEAKER_02: You know, I always loved to go to Canberra. I like to go to those closer places that are within
[12:05] SPEAKER_02: a driving distance. The mountains are always really lovely. I know that we have a really exciting.
[12:10] SPEAKER_02: I've got a spill of beans here. We're doing a hike with Lorraine Harper for our woman of
[12:15] SPEAKER_02: inspiration nominees just before a woman of inspiration in September. So that's going to be pretty
[12:20] SPEAKER_02: cool because you get back out into nature. Those are the resets for me, right? Is when we can just,
[12:25] SPEAKER_02: you know, not have to worry about social media, not have to worry about anything else except fresh air
[12:29] SPEAKER_01: and smacks your size. So where creatures of habit, I'm wondering, do you have a daily routine that
[12:37] SPEAKER_02: you follow every day, religiously? Every day, religiously, I get up and actually I don't really
[12:44] SPEAKER_02: get up. That's my secret is I reach over and my phone goes off. I set it for quite early and I usually
[12:51] SPEAKER_02: just surf all the news. I search all my feeds right away first thing in the morning. So I get that
[12:57] SPEAKER_02: out of the way before I even really start my day. And then I haven't been doing it every single day,
[13:03] SPEAKER_02: Mario, but I do like to meditate. And I think that that, you know, it might not be as long or
[13:08] SPEAKER_02: some mornings as others, but I do like to set my day off with intention. Okay. And what do you mean by that?
[13:15] SPEAKER_02: So I used to think that I had to get out of bed and meditate and find a comfy spot by the time I
[13:21] SPEAKER_02: find my comfy spot and I get all organized 20 minutes is gone. And then I shirt my meditation.
[13:26] SPEAKER_02: So I just cozy up in bed and I just, you know, go to my meditation place right where I am,
[13:31] SPEAKER_02: tucked away in all cozy. And I just really clear my head and go into a meditative state where I try
[13:40] SPEAKER_01: not to think about anything. I'm going to ask you kind of a weird question. So I'm ready for it.
[13:46] SPEAKER_01: There with me. So there's a beautiful tropical island in the middle of the ocean with only one
[13:52] SPEAKER_01: phone booth, right? And no internet. We're going to drop you off there with no technology at all.
[13:58] SPEAKER_01: So no cell phones, you know, iPads, computers, whatever. At any time you can use the phone on the
[14:05] SPEAKER_01: island to call a boat and we'll come pick you up. Now how long would you last before making that
[14:12] SPEAKER_01: phone call? And what do you think you'd do all you were there? Oh my goodness. I don't have any
[14:18] SPEAKER_02: problem being on my own whatsoever, which is a scary part. I think that I can navigate. I enjoy my
[14:26] SPEAKER_02: own company a lot almost too much sometimes. But I think it would be kind of days. Did you give
[14:32] SPEAKER_02: did you say you gave me food? Do I have food on the island? Oh my gosh, you can have food.
[14:37] SPEAKER_02: Okay. Okay. So if I had food in a beautiful island and a place to stay, you know, I would probably
[14:44] SPEAKER_02: just take it as a silent retreat. I would take it as an absolute treat to be away. So I'd probably
[14:50] SPEAKER_02: avoid picking up that phone call and calling SOS for as long as I possibly could. You know, I think
[14:56] SPEAKER_02: that I have never been silent or alone like that for that period of time. I'd like to test the
[15:03] SPEAKER_01: waters for like at least three days. Okay. Great. Is there anything you'd like to add before you leave
[15:09] SPEAKER_02: us today? You know, I just want to say thank you to you. I know that, you know, it's really important
[15:15] SPEAKER_02: that people know the work that you're doing. We're meeting here. You're taking time out of your
[15:20] SPEAKER_02: day and you know, you're sharing the story and sharing the spotlight on people, which is really
[15:26] SPEAKER_02: important because that's how people get to know you. They get to form a deeper bond. So I think I
[15:32] SPEAKER_02: just like to say thank you to you for sharing your awesomeness and for what you do for the community.
[15:37] SPEAKER_01: Oh, thank you. That's caught me off guard. Thanks, Monica, for being our guest on Calvary's podcast.
[15:45] SPEAKER_00: Hey there. Thanks for taking the time today to listen to Calvary's podcast on Canada's podcast
[15:51] SPEAKER_00: network. We hope you enjoyed the show today. Make sure you sign up for our newsletters and write
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[16:06] SPEAKER_00: Canada's podcast. You can also check out what other entrepreneurs are doing across the country.
[16:12] SPEAKER_00: See you next time.
