Business and Culture Podcast

2021 was known as the year of the "Great Resignation" as employees were quitting their draining jobs and exploring more meaningful job opportunities. Some are taking a chance on themselves by exploring entrepreneurship but it takes strategic planning to do that. My guest for today's podcast is Christenn N James also known as CJ. She is originally from Tobago and after getting laid off from her corporate job years before the pandemic, she used her skills to start her own transition and mindset coaching business. In this episode, we explore some of the difference between the entrepreneurship scene in Canada and Tobago (Caribbean) You can connect with Christen via the links below Website- https://www.christennjames.com/ Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/christennjames/ Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/christennjamesthecoach LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/christennjames/

The international food sections of local grocery stores often carry the same set of brands. If you're from the Caribbean then Grace and Irie are some common brands you can find. There is a gap however seen with the absence of African food products. It is not to say that these products are not found in stores at all... they are found mostly in African and Caribbean retail stores. My guest Lola Adeyemi is a Nigerian born entrepreneur who decided to start her own soup and sauce line after seeing the lack of African food products. Today, her company, It's Souper can be found in food in stores like Sobey's and Wholefoods. She was recently successful in getting a deal on the popular Canadian pitch show, Dragon's Den. Hope you enjoy this week's episode. You can find her products online and in select grocery stores. https://itssouper.com/

Representation matters, especially in children's books which is why Yolanda Marshall started to create her own series of children's book to represent African and Caribbean culture in a fun and creative way. Yolanda is originally from Guyana and moved to Canada when she was in high school. Her passion inspiration to write her own children's books came about after she had her son and she thought it was important for him to grow up in a society where he could see himself and learn his roots. She never anticipated the impact this would have on other kids and parents on not just a local scale but globally. Some of her books include, C is for Carnival, Miles Away in the Caribbean, My Soca Birthday Party, A Piece of Black cake for Santa and her recent book, Hot Cross Buns.  You can find her books on Amazon, Knowledge Bookstore, Indigo and the Toronto Public Library. I hope that you enjoy this episode.   Don't forget to follow us and participate in our weekly polls and questions.

It's no secret that black businesses get a bad rep when it comes on to general customer service. But a few bad apples shouldn't ruin the whole. Yvonne Ben saw the problem and wanted to help change the narrative of African businesses in Canada and so she created the Kscope platform, the #1 directory in Canada for African Businesses. I have personally been able to find so many African businesses through The Kscope to support in food, fashion and more and I have never been disappointed.  I was interested in Yvonne's journey however as you know Rome wasn't built in a day.  I hope you enjoy this week's episode.

In today's episode, CharisMaggie interviews  Kate Koplynova and what led her to becoming an entrepreneur in the wellness industry. Kate is originally from Russia and moved to Canada over 20 year ago. For anyone who know her, she's a breath of fresh air and you will be sure that the first question she will ask you whenever she sees you is "how are you doing today?". I have always admired Kate as she walks the talk and her passion for helping others live a healthy life is inspiring. You can connect with Kate on the following social media platforms Instagram: @katehealthyliving Facebook: Kate Kopylova LinkedIn: Kate Kopylova

Hey everyone! I appreciate you for stopping by! Here is a taste of what you can expect from the Business and Culture with CharisMaggie Podcast. What I hope that this podcast will do is serve as a resource and place of inspiration for new or aspiring entrepreneurs. I also have a curiosity for culture and so I’ll be exploring cultural differences in business practices.