In this very special episode of The Finance Cafe Podcast, your hosts Shauna and Shannon celebrate Women’s Entrepreneurship Day by reflecting on the inspiring stories shared by successful women entrepreneurs throughout the year.

Join us as we take a thoughtful look back at the past year’s most memorable conversations with incredible women entrepreneurs. From personal finance tips to navigating the challenges of running a business, Shauna and Shannon revisit the advice, lessons, and moments that have inspired and empowered women to take charge of their financial futures.

This episode reflects on some of the most impactful themes and messages shared on the podcast. The conversations have underscored the importance of building financial confidence and truly understanding your numbers, while also tackling the unique challenges women entrepreneurs face with resilience and determination. Shauna and Shannon also explore how the power of community and mentorship has been a recurring thread in fostering growth, success, and connection.

Whether you’re a seasoned business owner, just starting out, or dreaming of launching your own venture, this episode is filled with wisdom and inspiration to support your journey.

Celebrate with us as we honor the resilience, creativity, and leadership of women entrepreneurs everywhere!

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Linkedin

In honour of Financial Literacy Month, Shauna Frederick welcomes Alyssa Churchill, a Certified Professional Bookkeeper and the visionary founder of NG Finances. With a passion for helping small businesses streamline their operations and achieve financial clarity, Alyssa brings a wealth of knowledge and innovative problem-solving skills honed over years of experience in the industry. Alyssa’s journey is marked by her commitment to empowering entrepreneurs, ensuring they remain organized, compliant, and ready for growth.

Together, Shauna and Alyssa explore the shift from financial literacy to true financial empowerment. They discuss five powerful tools designed to enhance business efficiencies and strengthen financial wellness, emphasizing that financial success is not just about understanding numbers but about establishing the right systems that support sustained growth.

Alyssa shares insights from her recent article on systematizing business processes as a core element of financial empowerment, illustrating how technology can be a transformative force for entrepreneurs. Through practical examples, she highlights the importance of building a solid financial foundation that allows business owners to focus on their passions and drive their ventures forward with confidence.

Join us for an enlightening conversation that equips you with the tools and knowledge to take control of your finances and unlock your business potential.

Websites:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com

https://www.xero.com

https://www.freshbooks.com

https://www.hubdoc.com

Social Media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssangfinances/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ngfinances/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/NGFinances.remote

Website: www.ngfinances.com

In this episode, Shauna sits down with the insightful Katy Baker, a CPA and Certified International Trade Professional (CITP), who has held executive roles across public, private, and non-profit sectors. As the founder of Pricing for Profit., Katy brings her wealth of experience to help women entrepreneurs gain confidence in pricing their services for what they’re truly worth.

Through Pricing for Profit’s system of easy-to-implement financial tools, Katy guides entrepreneurs in mastering cost calculation, operational planning, and strategic tax planning, all with a focus on pricing for profit. She emphasizes the importance of aligning your prices with the value you bring and avoiding the common pitfall of underpricing or undervaluing your expertise. Katy also dives into the mindset shift needed to believe in yourself and your business—pricing not just for today, but with a forward-thinking approach that supports the life and future you envision.

This conversation is all about empowering women entrepreneurs to step into their worth, plan for profit, and confidently set prices that reflect their experience and goals. Get ready to be inspired as Katy shares her expertise, helping you not only price for profit but also plan for the future you deserve.

Website: Pricing For Profit

Connect on Linkedin: Katy Baker

In this episode of The Finance Cafe Podcast, Shannon Pestun welcomes Tammy Rea, Regional Manager for Women in Enterprise at TD Bank, who brings over 30 years of experience in the banking industry. Tammy’s career began at Canada Trust and evolved through various leadership roles within TD’s Business Bank, including Area Manager for Business Banking and Regional Manager of Professional Banking. Now, she focuses on supporting women-controlled businesses across British Columbia and the Yukon.

Tammy emphasizes the importance of building a trusting, two-way relationship with your banker. She encourages entrepreneurs to ask about her background, her understanding of their industry, and why she chose to work with entrepreneurs. Tammy explains that this is not just a transactional relationship but one built on mutual trust, knowledge, and shared goals.

She also offers practical advice for women navigating their financial journeys, highlighting the need to ask questions, understand their financial health, and find a banker who can serve as a trusted partner because bankers are there to help, not judge.

Filled with empowering insights, this episode offers guidance on approaching financial institutions with confidence and building supportive, long-term relationships with your banker. Whether you're just starting out or looking to grow your business, Tammy's wisdom provides the tools and strategies to help you succeed.

Website: TD Women in Enterprise

Linkedin: Tammy Rea

In this episode of The Finance Cafe Podcast, Dr. Rumeet Billan, an award-winning entrepreneur, learning architect, and humanitarian, joins Shannon Pestun to delve into the powerful themes of rewriting and redefining success on your own terms. As the CEO of Women of Influence+ and the Founder of Viewpoint Leadership, Dr. Billan brings a wealth of experience in transforming workplace cultures, fostering trust, and building resilience. Her research on Tall Poppy Syndrome and Canadian Happiness at Work has been instrumental in shifting conversations about workplace dynamics and women’s roles in leadership.

Together, Dr. Billan and Shannon explore the importance of context in shaping narratives around success and happiness. Dr. Billan shares how rewriting and redefining aren’t just about correcting the past—they’re about intentionally shaping the future. She emphasizes the significance of intersectionality and the need to empower women to define and achieve success on their own terms, rather than conforming to one rigid idea of what success or happiness should look like.

In addition to success, the conversation also touches on a crucial topic for women—financial wellness. Dr. Billan and Shannon highlight how women have been conditioned to believe that financial empowerment is out of reach, a myth that needs to be dispelled. Dr. Billan stresses the importance of breaking through these barriers, addressing the attitudes and behaviors around financial decisions, and understanding finances in a deeper, more personal context. Listeners will gain insights into how financial empowerment is essential not just for business, but for everyday life, and how empowering women with financial knowledge can lead to greater confidence and control over their futures.

This episode offers tools and insights to help women not only redefine success but also take control of their financial narratives, paving the way for meaningful and lasting impact in both their personal and professional lives.

Websites:

Rumeet Billan

Women of Influence

Social Media:

Linkedin: Rumeet Billan

In this episode, Shannon Pestun sits down with the dynamic Sarah Wilcox, Co-founder and CEO of Genuine Tea Inc., to explore the key strategies that have propelled her company from a small farmers' market brand to a nationwide success story. With Genuine Tea named one of Canada’s Top Growing Companies in both 2022 and 2023 by The Globe and Mail, Sarah shares the remarkable journey that began during her five-year stay in Taiwan, where she not only immersed herself in the local culture but learned directly from tea farmers across Asia. As a trained tea sommelier and recipient of the prestigious MOE Taiwan scholarship, Sarah’s expertise in tea is matched by her sharp business acumen.

Sarah dives into the systems and strategies she has implemented at Genuine Tea, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and listening to customers. She explains how her experience on CBC's Dragons’ Den helped secure a deal with Arlene Dickinson, which catapulted the business to new heights, with Genuine Tea now available in over 1,500 locations across Canada.

In this episode, Sarah and Shannon cover essential topics for entrepreneurs looking to scale their businesses. Sarah discusses how to take advantage of grants and government programs to fund growth, diversify your business through multiple channels, and leverage social proof to build a loyal community. She also highlights the critical role of exceptional customer service and reveals how creating robust systems can give business owners the freedom to focus on innovation and expansion.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to scale, Sarah’s insights on how key life events can inspire growth, combined with her focus on strategic systems, offer invaluable lessons for anyone looking to turn their passion into a thriving business. Tune in for an engaging conversation filled with practical tips and inspiring stories that will motivate you to take your business to the next level.

Instagram: Genuine Tea

Facebook: Genuine Tea

Twitter: Genuine Tea

Website: https://www.genuinetea.ca/

In this episode, Shauna Frederick sits down with the insightful Anna Giampà, a seasoned Family Enterprise Advisor with over two decades of experience in consulting, business planning, and corporate strategy. Anna’s journey is rich with entrepreneurial ventures, academic excellence, and a deep commitment to lifelong learning. As a former faculty member at Montreal’s Concordia University, where she taught Entrepreneurship & Strategy, Anna has empowered countless business leaders with her practical wisdom. Beyond her consulting career, she co-manages a thriving real estate portfolio and nurtures her passions for food, travel, and continuous growth.

Anna and Shauna explore the transformative power of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in driving business success. Anna demystifies KPIs, breaking them down into simple, measurable values that act as a scoreboard for your business, helping you track progress and uncover opportunities for improvement. She delves into the four key types of KPIs—financial, operational, customer, and marketing—and illustrates how they can be customized to fit any business, regardless of its size or complexity.

Through practical examples, Anna reveals how even the simplest KPIs, such as tracking new customers or enhancing revenue growth, can have a profound impact. She underscores the strategic significance of KPIs, showing how they can guide your strategic planning and decision-making processes, ultimately fostering structured growth.

Websites:

Canada Benchmarking Tool: Financial Performance Data (canada.ca)

Connect with Anna:

LinkedIn: Anna Giampà, MBA, FEA

Instagram: annafiorilli

Facebook: Anna G Fiorilli

In this episode, Shauna sits down with the brilliant Jackie Porter who is a leading Canadian financial planner with a stellar 25-year career dedicated to empowering high-achievers. As a trusted advisor to executives, business owners, and legal professionals, Jackie offers expert guidance on complex financial matters that go beyond simple Google searches.

Her journey to financial success is as inspiring as her expertise. Raised by a single mother, Jackie faced early financial challenges that ignited her passion for building wealth and financial independence. Today, she's a multi-award-winning financial planner, author of "Single by Choice or Chance," and a sought-after industry expert.

Jackie has a knack for turning complex financial concepts into actionable advice. In this podcast we're diving deep into the power of mindset when it comes to money. From overcoming financial barriers to skyrocketing your business, Jackie shares practical tips and strategies to cultivate a growth mindset. Discover how to shift your perspective, unlock new opportunities, and take control of your financial future. Get ready to be inspired as Jackie shares her wisdom and empowers you to reach new heights in your entrepreneurial journey.

Connect with Jackie: LinkedIn: Jackie Porter (Lawyers Financial Advisor) CFP, RWM, EPC

Twitter: X

Instagram: Jackie Porter | CFP (@jackieportercfp)

Website: askjackie.ca