To celebrate this International Women’s Day (and really, shouldn’t that simply be everyday?!), we’re profiling some incredible women in the lifestyle space. Here, three we really look up to. —Noa Nichol
Julia Bao, BAO Laboratory Q&A
Tell us a bit about yourself to start.
My name is Dr. Julia Bao and I am the founder of BAO Laboratory. Before founding my company, I worked as an analytical biochemist, with a passion for using science to create innovative and effective skincare products. As the founder of BAO Laboratory, my background in analytical biochemistry has inspired me to create a range of effective skincare products that are powered by a unique small molecule formulation. This proprietary formulation is designed to penetrate deeply into the skin, delivering restorative benefits that are unmatched by other products on the market. At BAO Laboratory, we are committed to using only the highest quality, all-natural ingredients in our products. As someone who believes that what you put on your skin is just as important as what you put in your body, I take great care in sourcing our ingredients from reputable suppliers and selecting each one for its specific benefits and effectiveness. Our small molecule formulation and commitment to all-natural ingredients are two key factors that set BAO Laboratory apart from other skincare brands. Our customers can trust that they are getting the best of both worlds: cutting-edge science and natural ingredients that are good for their skin and the planet.
What inspired you to launch your business?
I was inspired to launch BAO Laboratory after a personal experience with poor-quality skincare products. As someone who had never paid much attention to the products I was using on my skin, I had a bad reaction to a particular product that left me with a rash all over my body. This experience led me to realize the importance of using safe and effective skincare products, and it ultimately inspired me to create my own line of skincare products that would be both high-quality and all-natural. By utilizing my background in analytical biochemistry and small molecule formulation, I was able to develop a unique range of skincare products that are both effective and safe for use on all skin types. At BAO Laboratory, we are committed to using only the highest quality, natural ingredients to ensure that our customers can feel confident in the products they are using on their skin. Overall, my personal experience with poor-quality skincare products inspired me to launch BAO Laboratory and create a line of safe, effective, and all-natural skincare products that anyone can feel good about using.
What’s a day in the life like for you?
A day in my life is always busy, but also very fulfilling. I typically wake up at 5 or 7 am and spend a few hours communicating with my global collaborators. This time of the day is important for me to stay up-to-date with our international operations and ensure that everyone is on the same page. After that, I take a couple of hours for myself to have breakfast and get ready for the day ahead. From 9 am to 12 pm, I focus on essential company work and communicate with my local colleagues. This part of the day is usually spent reviewing the progress of ongoing projects, making important decisions, and addressing any issues that may have arisen. At noon, I take a break for lunch and sometimes have meetings with potential collaborators. In the afternoons from 2 pm to 5 pm, I focus on closing the operations of the company and ensuring that all deadlines are met. Once work is finished, I go home to cook and enjoy dinner from 6 pm to 8 pm. The rest of my evening is usually spent finishing up any paperwork, communicating with my global collaborators, and preparing for the next day. I value this time for reflection, goal setting and sometimes learning a new skill or language. Then, I typically go to bed around 11 pm and get a good night’s sleep to prepare for the next day.
How does your brand empower women?
At BAO Laboratory, we are committed to empowering women by promoting self-confidence and self-care. We believe that everyone, regardless of gender, deserves to feel confident and beautiful in their own skin. However, we also recognize that there are still significant inequalities and societal pressures that disproportionately affect women. From early childhood, women are often taught to rely on others for their emotional and financial needs, which can limit their opportunities and ambitions. That’s why our brand is dedicated to empowering women to take control of their lives and achieve their goals. We believe that by providing high-quality skincare products that promote healthy and beautiful skin, we are also promoting a sense of confidence and self-reliance in our customers. We also believe in supporting and uplifting women in all areas of life, which is why we are committed to giving back to the community and supporting causes that empower women. By creating a brand that is dedicated to promoting self-care, confidence, and social responsibility, we hope to play a small part in promoting equality and opportunity for all.
What are the current challenges for women in your industry? How do you overcome them?
While the beauty industry has seen significant progress in recent years in terms of inclusivity and representation, there are still challenges that women face, particularly in leadership and entrepreneurship roles. One of the biggest challenges is the lack of female representation in leadership positions in the beauty industry. Women are often underrepresented in executive roles, which can limit their ability to make decisions and influence the direction of the industry. This can also make it harder for women entrepreneurs to break into the market and secure funding. Another challenge that women face is the pressure to conform to beauty standards that are often unrealistic and unattainable. This can lead to a lack of diversity in the industry and limit opportunities for women who don’t fit into these narrow beauty ideals. To overcome these challenges, it’s important to promote diversity and inclusivity at all levels of the industry. At BAO Laboratory, we are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment for all employees, regardless of gender. We believe in providing opportunities for women to take on leadership roles and pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. Additionally, we strive to promote diversity and inclusivity in our marketing and product development, with a focus on creating products that are designed to meet the unique needs of all skin types and beauty preferences. Overall, by promoting diversity, inclusivity, and opportunity for all, we hope to overcome the challenges that women face in the beauty industry and pave the way for a more equitable and empowering future.
How do you create a supportive environment for yourself and your team?
Creating a supportive environment for myself and my team is a top priority for me. I believe that to be productive and successful, we must feel comfortable expressing our thoughts and ideas without fear of judgment or negative repercussions. Here are a few ways that I work to create a supportive environment: First, I encourage open communication and feedback. I value the opinions and ideas of all team members, and I believe that by actively listening to everyone’s perspective, we can make more informed decisions and move forward as a team. Second, I prioritize mentorship and professional development. I believe that it’s important to provide opportunities for young people to learn and grow in their careers, and I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience with others. By providing support and inspiration, I hope to empower the next generation of leaders in the beauty industry. Finally, I work to create a culture of positivity and encouragement. I believe that by celebrating our successes and focusing on the good, we can maintain a supportive and uplifting environment that motivates us to keep striving for excellence. Overall, by promoting open communication, mentorship, and positivity, I hope to create a supportive environment that empowers myself and my team to reach our full potential and achieve our goals.
Who has been your greatest influence/mentor in your life?
My greatest influence and mentor in life has been my Ph.D. mentor. During my time in graduate school, my mentor not only provided me with the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in my field but also instilled in me a strong work ethic and dedication to my craft. My mentor was always available to answer questions, provide guidance, and challenge me to think outside the box. They encouraged me to take on difficult projects and taught me the value of perseverance and hard work in achieving my goals. Overall, my Ph.D. mentor has had a profound influence on my life and career. Their guidance and mentorship have helped shape my work ethic and approach to problem-solving, and I am grateful for the impact they have had on my life.
What are you most proud of doing/accomplishing?
One of the accomplishments that I am most proud of is my ability to think outside of the box and break the ceiling. Throughout my career, I have always been willing to challenge the status quo and explore new ideas and approaches. Whether it’s in my work as an analytical biochemist or as the founder of BAO Laboratory, I am constantly looking for ways to innovate and improve upon existing methods and processes. This willingness to think outside the box has allowed me to achieve success in my career and create a brand that is both unique and effective. By breaking the ceiling and refusing to be limited by convention, I have been able to achieve my goals and make a positive impact on the world around me. I am proud of the accomplishments that have come from this approach, and I am excited to continue pushing boundaries and exploring new frontiers in the years to come.
Jillian Mariani, Niyama Wellness
Tell us a bit about yourself to start.
Well, on the personal side, I’m a mum, bonus (or step) mum, a wife/soulmate, and a dog & cat mum. My husband came with 3 kids from his first marriage, a boy and two girls, who I met when they were ages 5, 3 & 1, and then we had one daughter together. At this point, they are almost 23, 21, 19 and 15. Workwise, I’m a former corporate executive in the vitamins/supplements category, a registered yoga teacher, and a certified sleep coach and I’m a huge natural wellness geek. I love learning and would have happily stayed in school forever, had I not needed to earn a living. I did a BA at UofT, a diploma in Nutritional Management at GBC, an MBA at Schulich School of Business (part-time as I was working FT), and a YTT-200H from Downward Dog Yoga Centre. I live in Toronto’s east end with my husband and kids, our cat Pip and our dog Leo. I love yoga, cooking, travel, Netflix/HBO, and good books. I’m a coffee, wine and potato chip snob.
What inspired you to launch your business?
I was incredibly lucky to spend my whole corporate career in the natural wellness and supplements category, which was so personally relevant to how I live my own life. I had access to lots of fantastic products and ingredients, and it was my job to stay on top of the next best thing. Yet even with all the amazing products available, I was still combining loads of single-ingredient products, and mixing up my own elixirs to get exactly what I wanted to support my lifestyle, without any of what I didn’t want – namely artificial sweeteners, flavours, preservatives and less ideal forms of nutrients. It was doable but expensive and not convenient. As a type A woman, biological and bonus mom, with a busy career and family life, I am no stranger to stress; and I knew my desire to manage my wellness naturally was not unique. Niyama is the embodiment of a wellness & self-care line of products that meet my own exceptionally picky standards for myself and for other like-minded consumers, to make creating and sustaining good habits for a healthy, happier life, easier and more enjoyable – with no guesswork! And, truthfully when I left corporate in 2017, I didn’t know how to do anything other than nutritional supplements – so while I never set out to be an entrepreneur, it just felt like the best way to apply everything I’d learned in corporate, but create something that more perfectly served women like me.
What’s a day in the life like for you?
As an entrepreneur, no two days are the same, but I guess a typical one starts with a 6:30 am alarm, my morning supplements (Daytime Zen and Green Energy or Goddess Greens, depending on how I feel and if I’m working out) a 30-40 minute yoga flow or barre workout at home, a teen drop-off at the subway, back home fast to get our COVID dog Leo for a walk in the ravine near us, a shower, then finally a smoothie with our Clean Plant Protein. Either Vanilla with frozen berries or mango, or chocolate with frozen bananas and nut butter. I’m in my home office by 9 am, with my plant milk cappuccino. I usually start with checking our sales platforms, processing any wholesale orders, and then I dig into the list for the day. I usually create a fresh list for the week in a notebook every Monday, that grows throughout the week, with things getting crossed off and added as I go. But every morning I check that list and ensure I start with the one crucial thing that has to get done that day. I also have a running 30, 60, and 90-day planner that I update monthly on my laptop, but day to day I like the paper list in my notebook. I physically need to cross things off, it brings me great satisfaction. I work til about 1:30 pm, writing/brainstorming content, zoom meetings, competitive analysis, a bit of bookkeeping, and collaborations – it all depends on the day. Then a break for lunch, which is usually leftovers of some type or a salad with protein – I love working from home for the ability to eat healthy lunches every day. If I’m looking for something sweet after lunch, I make a glass of Glow & Flow vegan collagen booster, which not only gets me to drink more water but curbs the sweet cravings. Then back to my desk for a zoom meeting or phone meeting with one of Niyama’s amazing freelancers or agency partners, or maybe off to a retailer meeting in person. My favourite things to do workwise are innovation planning – I love competitive research and thinking of new ways to use amazing effective ingredients to address health challenges or goals in better, simpler, more enjoyable ways, and writing blogs and articles. Sometimes I need a snack in the afternoon – at home it’s nuts or a handful of granola, if I’m out I like Midday Squares – the Peanut Butta is amazing. By 5:30 or so, I’m usually hitting the wall. I love another walk with the dog in nature to transition from my desk to whatever the evening holds, but time doesn’t always permit it. Then my husband or I or both of us together make dinner for our daughters, and they clean up. I’m in a couple of founders groups too, so usually one night a week there is an online meeting, or I’m out at something with friends or with my daughters, and I also try to do in-studio yoga classes at least once a week too. I feel like I’m still finding that balance of post-pandemic being out vs being home. Pre-pandemic it was way too much not at home, then during the pandemic we were home like everyone, and now it’s sort of in between. I need more downtime than I used to. If I’m home, by 8:30 or 9 pm I’m ready to chill. I mix a glass of Hey Relax magnesium with lots of ice and sip it and usually watch a bit of Netflix or whatever. I was late to the party on Yellowstone but my hubs and are watching it (and the other prequels) now and loving it. I’m looking forward to Succession coming back. By 10 pm I’m in bed with a book and a Sleep Like Buddha capsule and by 10:30 or 11 at the latest, I’m asleep.
How does your brand empower women?
Niyama is all about making good, healthy habits for living well easier to create and sustain. I know as busy women with a full life, we often put our own self-care last. And I know where that goes – I’m no stranger to burnout, insomnia and anxiety. With Niyama, I strive to create effective natural wellness products that are simple to understand and incorporate into busy lives, to help make those good habits (like eating well, moving our bodies, sleeping, and managing stress) easier and more enjoyable. I fully advocate self-care, but I get that it has to be accessible. Niyama enables women to claim that self-care but still get everything else they need to do done.
What are the current challenges for women in your industry? How do you overcome them?
For most female entrepreneurs the biggest challenge is cash flow and funding as you grow your business. The stats are pretty horrible – less than 2% of VC funding goes to female-owned businesses. That is down slightly from pre-pandemic levels. And right now, the investment environment is tough with so much economic uncertainty. With any small business but especially with a product-based business, the expenses outstrip the revenue, and inventory ties up cash. Loans are great but it’s very tricky to get them unless you already have money. And it’s hard to grow without being able to invest more in awareness. I don’t have the answer on how to overcome – it’s very much a work in progress, but I do find other women business owners to be incredibly transparent, supportive and willing to share wins and challenges and offer advice. I’m in a couple of groups, I have a mentor and I do some mentoring, and we learn from each other. I’m working on a BDC loan right now, so fingers crossed!
How do you create a supportive environment for yourself and your team?
Well, I’m still wearing most of the hats day to day. I’m the only FT employee at present. I have crucial help from a group of amazing humans though. I work with a woman-owned boutique social & PR agency, Charming Media, as well as a local warehouse for shipping and fulfillment, a super smart female freelancer that does our ad buying, and a fantastic local GMP co-manufacturer that is incredibly supportive and willing to work with start-ups. A handful of incredible content creators/influencers and a demo person/educator help share the love, and we work with an Ontario-based distributor for help with our wholesale accounts. So in one sense, I don’t have a “team”, but I also very much do have a team – it’s just that they don’t know each other, or work directly together. The link is me, which makes ongoing communication key, as well as selecting the right people to work with because there is no time to micromanage anyone, even if I wanted to, which I 100% don’t. I try to ensure that my communication is clear and reasonable, and meet with everyone by zoom or phone monthly, with touch-bases whenever needed. Everyone has my cell and I’m always available, and they all know they are never bothering me, but I would never call them on an event or weekend unless they reached out to me first. I’m not always respectful of my own time, but I’m very conscious of others. We also donate 1% of all revenue to the David Suzuki Foundation, as part of 1% for the Planet. Which for a start-up is a big deal as you donate whether you make a profit or not.
Who has been your greatest influence/mentor in your life?
Probably my Mum. She was a single mum at two points when I was growing up. She and my Dad divorced when I was about 4, and divorce was a lot less common back then. She only accepted child support, not spousal because she was very proud and didn’t feel that her ex-husband should financially support her, only me. She also managed to maintain a very friendly relationship with my father my whole life – for them, it was always a question of loving me more than they disliked each other. My Mum only finished high school – only her brother had the opportunity for post-secondary, yet she managed to fully support herself, help her second husband start and run a home-based business, and when she retired, she was a full-fledged producer at CTV with a team. She has never described herself as a feminist, but her actions certainly made me one. She instilled in me a strong work ethic, a desire for financial independence, and to treat others the way you want to be treated.
What are you most proud of doing/accomplishing?
Launching and then surviving the pandemic with Niyama! I launched the brand in 2019, and it felt like I was on the path I was meant to be on. It wasn’t easy, but Niyama was just starting to get some traction when COVID hit. While COVID increased people’s focus on wellness, it benefited known brands, with larger budgets, as opposed to unknown start-ups. It was very stressful and I watched every single penny, and while the brand is not even close to where I hoped it would be by this point, we are still here and that alone is a huge accomplishment. We weathered the storm, and I do believe the skies are much brighter ahead. The Niyama community is just amazing – I know our products are incredible – I’m a total product geek and crazy picky. But when our customers take the trouble to personally email or message to say how much better they are feeling (or sleeping!) and how positively Niyama has impacted their wellness habits, it’s the best possible feeling, and I 100% know this is what I should be doing.
Judy Librach, Finding Your Bliss
Tell us a bit about yourself to start.
My name is Judy Librach and I am a life coach, meditation teacher, publisher of an online magazine and the host of the weekly radio show Finding Your Bliss on Zoomer Radio AM740 FM96.7, now in its fourth season. I’m also a wife and a mom of two and someone who loves to help people find what lights them up and what brings them bliss and a sense of purpose in their lives.
What inspired you to launch your business?
You know how everyone has that dream or that wish that they are dying to do, but they don’t get to it because they’re afraid it’ll never be as wonderful as they dreamed it could be? Well, I had this dream to write Bliss Minutes – which would just provide a daily burst of positivity and joy to people. But for some reason, I never did it. Then, one day, we were robbed, and I decided to go to my husband’s office with him every day for 6 weeks while our new alarm system was being installed. And I knew I had a choice while I spent many evenings at his office: I could watch Netflix or scroll on my phone, or finally start to write these Bliss Minutes. And a miraculous thing happened: Once I started, I couldn’t stop writing them! I wrote reams and reams of them and loved every minute of it. Then I started videotaping them and they began to take on a life of their own. Suddenly, I had a realization and wondered what would happen if I started an online magazine where people could write about their bliss (www.findingyourbliss.com). And people started sending me their stories, and each one was more inspirational than the next. And every time I got one of their articles, I would get choked up because I felt so grateful to be able to help people connect to their bliss. And then a friend of mine, who is also a producer, knew about an opening at Zoomer Radio for a one-hour radio show and asked if I could put together an impressive 15-page proposal in about a day. Had I not been in the sphere of writing about bliss and doing all of this work, I might not have been able to do the task. But, I was so in the flow of thinking and writing about passion and purpose and was so completely absorbed, focused, and involved, that all of my ideas for the show just came spilling out of me. I wrote the proposal in about an hour. And because I was not tech-savvy at the time, I had to present my “pitch” in person because my PDF didn’t work. Afterwards, the person who interviewed me at Zoomer said, “That was the most exuberant presentation I’ve ever heard!” And three days later, I had a show! I also became way more tech-savvy in the process. The show has come a long way. We have an awesome team at Finding Your Bliss and I have interviewed everyone from Joan Lunden (Good Morning America), Cheryl Hickey (ET Canada), Melissa Grelo (The Social), Nina Davuluri (Miss America 2014), Jason Tartick (The Bachelorette), Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup For The Soul), Julia Cameron (The Artist’s Way), Jully Black (Canada’s Queen of R&B), and many more wonderful celebrities, singers, authors, mindfulness experts, yoga practitioners, and many others who found and are following their bliss, with wonderful suggestions and tips on how you can find yours.
What’s a day in the life like for you?
A day in the life is never the same, and that’s what makes it so fascinating. But essentially, every Monday we listen to the show that will be airing that week and we clean it up, scrub it, and prepare it to be sent to Zoomer to air that Saturday. Then we complete all of our Scripts for show day, which is typically on a Wednesday. We write promos for the following week, we write letters to potential guests, we work on getting our dream guests, and then we start promoting the show of the week on my Instagram @theblissminute by sharing sneak peeks, promotional videos, and the Bliss Minute video of the week. Wednesday is my favourite day of all because it’s show day and I get to go into hair and makeup because we record both video and audio for our interviews. Thursday we start working on our upcoming shows and Friday is our Production Meeting with the whole team! Before Covid, we used to do the show live at Zoomer Radio, which was pretty cool because we got to meet the guests and hug them, take lots of photos, do the show, and then go celebrate afterwards at our favourite place The Local! But then Covid happened, and instead of shutting down the show, I decided to transform my office into a radio studio. And thanks to our amazing team led by the incredible Mag Ruffman, some friends and colleagues, a few lights, a laptop, a podcast Mic and some fantastic systems, we were back on the air in no time. I think we only took off two weeks and we’ve been going strong ever since!
What are the current challenges for women in your industry? How do you overcome them?
Our brand empowers women on our social media, Instagram, and Facebook @theblissminute. We try to empower women to be at their best by doing lots of content on wellness and finding ways to improve our health, fitness and general well-being. We also talk a lot about meditation, yoga and mindfulness, empowerment, self-care and of course finding your purpose to help women be at their best in every way-mind, body and spirit. Our team is made up entirely of women.
How do you create a supportive environment for yourself and your team?
I try very hard to create a supportive environment for myself and my team, and I think one of the ways I have been able to achieve this is through the immense gratitude that I have for everyone on the team and the gratitude that everyone has for each other. We have a weekly Friday production meeting, which is bonding and my favourite thing is when we all go to the theatre, or out for lunch, dinner or drinks together. Naturally, before the pandemic, this was much more prevalent and we worked together in person every day and on show day too. I’m also very aware of ensuring that everyone is in their bliss, and have been known to do a little Bliss Coaching with my team members for a tune-up and sometimes a real look at where they are at and where they want to be in their Bliss Wheel of Life. At the end of the day, I want everyone to feel happy and fulfilled and coaching is still one of my favourite things to do to help people get there. My bliss is indeed watching other people connect with and embrace that thing that ultimately brings them joy and enlightenment.
Who has been your greatest influence/mentor in your life?
My dad, my late father Herbert Elliot Siblin has been the greatest mentor and influence in my life. He was always a kind, ethical, honest, outward-focused, benevolent and wonderful human being. He was written up in the book “The 100 Best Companies to Work for in Canada” by the Financial Post. He always was a true gentleman and a great listener. It was so befitting when he became a member of the Order of Canada in 2002. He always gave people the benefit of the doubt, always had a great sense of humour, and looked for the positive. He was very optimistic and cheerful, highly intelligent, but always humble, and he had a very healthy sense of confidence and self-esteem. Anything I do well I know is a testament to him, to his values, ethics and his excellent and loving mentoring. I know he was very proud of my achievements, but even more so about being a loving and kind person on this planet.
What are you most proud of doing/accomplishing?
I’m most proud of my children and being married for almost 30 years. My husband and our two children are the greatest blisses of all! I’m proud that I have authored two books, The Toronto Wedding Handbook, and Love, Mommy: Writing Love Letters to your Baby and my soon-to-be-completed book all about Finding Your Bliss. I’m proud of the series I hosted, wrote and produced called “In The Spotlight”, showcasing Canada’s performing artists, (which won some awards) and winning the CBC Telefest Award for “It has a name…Neurofibromatosis”. I feel proud of all the writing I have done, especially being the Managing Editor of Toronto Tonight, a performing arts publication. I also loved doing a column for almost 7 years called “The Life Coach Corner”. I am proud of the work I am doing on this radio show right now, Finding Your Bliss, the podcast, the magazine and my Instagram page @theblissminute, where it all started. I am proud of raising our family and helping them grow and develop into wonderful human beings that I know my Dad would be so proud of too. I’m proud of the meditation work I do, but mostly my coaching, helping people to live happier, healthier and more fulfilled lives. That is one of my greatest blisses too – helping people to experience their best selves and take one step closer to finding their bliss!
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