What does it take to break into one of the most closed, traditional industries in the world—and do it on your own terms? In this episode, host Eva Hartling sits down with Erica Bianchini, co-founder and creative director of Ecksand, to unpack how she built a fine jewelry brand from scratch—without legacy, without outside investment, and without compromising on values. What started in Montreal as a bootstrapped venture is now a globally recognized brand, worn by women like Meghan Markle, Kourtney...
May 08, 2026•1 hr•Season 10Ep. 15
At a time when women’s sports are reaching new heights, Canada’s women’s rugby program is emerging as one of the most compelling stories in the game. In this episode, Eva Hartling sits down with Jocelyn Barrieau, head coach of Canada’s women’s rugby sevens team, to explore the evolution of the sport — from limited opportunities to Olympic podiums and World Cup finals. Together, they unpack what it takes to build a high-performance culture rooted in trust, psychological safety, and a clear sense ...
Apr 29, 2026•36 min•Season 10Ep. 14
Former NASA rocket scientist, entrepreneur, and citizen astronaut Aisha Bowe has built a career defined by bold decisions—and even bolder execution. She’s also, as you’ll hear, not opposed to naming a few favourite [fictional] aliens along the way. From discovering her passion for math in community college to working at NASA, founding two companies, raising venture capital in a system where fewer than 2% of women reach that threshold, and ultimately funding her own journey to space aboard Blue O...
Apr 29, 2026•48 min•Season 10Ep. 13
Sherry Holmes grew up on construction sites with her dad, Mike Holmes — one of Canada's most recognized names in the trades. But becoming a builder in her own right wasn't a given. In fact, she fought it for years. In this episode, Sherry opens up about the winding road that led her to construction, including a brain tumour diagnosis at 19 that changed her perspective on everything, the moment she realized she wanted to earn her place on site — not inherit it, and what it's really like to show u...
Apr 16, 2026•39 min•Season 10Ep. 12
Dr. Nathalie Gabra is an otolaryngologist, head and neck surgeon, and Dermapure practitioner who brings a deeply medical lens to aesthetic medicine. But before the treatments and the protocols, she grew up watching her father and grandfather operate, and knew from a young age that surgery was her path. That foundation shapes everything about how she practices today. In this episode, airing on the last day of Women’s Month, we talk about what responsible aesthetic medicine actually looks like fro...
Mar 31, 2026•32 min•Season 10Ep. 11
Mélanie Joly has held some of the most demanding roles in Canadian federal politics — from Minister of Canadian Heritage to Minister of Foreign Affairs to her current role as Minister of Industry. But before any of that, she was a 34-year-old who founded her own political party and ran for mayor of Montreal. That gutsy move set the tone for everything that followed. In this episode, we talk about what power actually means when you're someone who thinks more about impact than authority. We get in...
Mar 28, 2026•30 min•Season 10Ep. 10
This week’s episode is exceptionally airing in French! ….. Sophie Larivière-Mantha voulait programmer des robots — et c'est un stage de cégep qui l'a redirigée vers le génie. Depuis, elle n'a jamais programmé un seul robot professionnellement… mais elle dirige aujourd'hui l'Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, une institution de 77 000 membres dont la mission fondamentale est la protection du public. Dans cet épisode, Sophie parle avec franchise de son parcours atypique — de l'industriel au biomédica...
Mar 26, 2026•42 min•Season 10Ep. 9
Patrizia Libralato is the founder and Executive Director of the Toronto Biennial of Art — Canada's first and only international art biennial. What started as a bold idea in 2014 has grown into a free, 90-day contemporary art event that draws audiences from across the country and puts Canadian artists on the world map. In this episode, Patrizia shares what it really took to build cultural infrastructure from scratch — navigating skeptics, securing multi-year funding commitments, and proving herse...
Mar 11, 2026•50 min•Season 10Ep. 8
In recognition of Women’s Month, Eva Hartling speaks with Chantel Chapman, founder of the Trauma of Money Institute , to explore the deeper forces that shape our relationship with money. After starting her career in finance and working as a financial literacy educator, Chantel realized that knowledge alone doesn’t always translate into healthy financial behaviour. Her work now sits at the intersection of finance, psychology, and trauma-informed practice, helping individuals and institutions bett...
Mar 05, 2026•43 min•Season 10Ep. 7
What does it really take to scale a food brand when your standards make everything harder? In this episode, Eva sits down with Tara and Megan, the founders behind Canadian functional food company Rawcology. What started in a family kitchen with a dehydrator and a mission to remove inflammatory ingredients from everyday snacks has grown into a nationally distributed brand now carried by retailers including Whole Foods, Bulk Barn and Costco. But growth didn’t follow the typical startup playbook. T...
Feb 19, 2026•44 min•Season 10Ep. 6
Canada is facing a women’s health crisis: three in four women over 40 experience menopausal symptoms that disrupt their daily lives — yet access to care is inconsistent, fragmented, and often out of reach. In this episode of The Brand is Female, originally recorded during World Menopause Month, Eva Hartling speaks with Dr. Michelle Jacobson, a leading OBGYN who decided to take her expertise beyond the clinic and into entrepreneurship. As co-founder of Coven Women’s Health , she is transforming h...
Feb 11, 2026•45 min•Season 10Ep. 5
Hi! Eva here. This episode is a little different. In the first part, I take you behind the scenes of my work and share what has always driven me — an obsession with precision when it comes to messaging, thought leadership, and reputation. I talk about why I’m launching Hartling Communications as a sister agency to The Brand is Female, and why this isn’t a pivot, but a clarification. I reflect on the experiences that shaped how I think about communication — from my time as Chief Marketing Officer...
Feb 04, 2026•31 min•Season 10Ep. 4
This conversation originally aired on Women Are Players Too, where it quickly became our most popular episode of the season. Recorded at the end of the Northern Super League’s inaugural season, this episode captures a defining moment for women’s professional sports in Canada, when the scale of what had been built was coming clearly into focus. This episode features a conversation with Lara Murphy, CEO and co-owner of Calgary Wild FC, Alberta’s first professional women’s soccer team, and the co-f...
Jan 28, 2026•39 min•Season 10Ep. 3
This is part 2 of last week’s conversation. To kick off the year, host Eva Hartling sits down with Sophie Boulanger — founder and former CEO of BonLook; advisor and investor — for a season-opening conversation about what retail transformation really means in 2026. Because this is not the year for surface-level change. Brands will either evolve at the core… or fall behind. In this episode, Sophie shares the lessons behind building one of Canada’s rare modern retail success stories — and what she ...
Jan 21, 2026•28 min•Season 10Ep. 2
To kick off the first episode of the year, host Eva Hartling sits down with Sophie Boulanger — founder and former CEO of BonLook; advisor and investor — for a season-opening conversation about what retail transformation really means in 2026. Because this is not the year for surface-level change. Brands will either evolve at the core… or fall behind. In this episode, Sophie shares the lessons behind building one of Canada’s rare modern retail success stories — and what she believes today’s brands...
Jan 15, 2026•37 min•Season 10Ep. 1
What does it really take to help women entrepreneurs scale in Canada — and where are we still falling short? In this episode, Eva Hartling sits down with Julie Dimitri, National Manager, Women in Enterprise at TD, for an in-depth conversation on the realities women founders face when navigating financing, growth, and long-term sustainability. Drawing on TD’s recent research with the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub, Julie unpacks why access to capital remains a persistent barrier, why Canada...
Dec 18, 2025•38 min•Season 9Ep. 34
In this special live episode recorded at the Poppy Barley boutique in Calgary, host Eva Hartling sits down with co-founder Kendall Barber for an unfiltered conversation about building — and sustaining — one of Canada’s most beloved women-founded footwear brands. Kendall shares the real story behind Poppy Barley’s 13-year journey, from the early days of selling custom boots and dreaming in wildly optimistic spreadsheets, to becoming a B Corp–certified brand rooted in purpose, craftsmanship, and c...
Nov 19, 2025•35 min•Season 9Ep. 33
For more than a decade, best friends and business partners Dani Kagan and Victoria Marshman have been building community and empowering women through entrepreneurship. From their early days as co-founders of City MOGULS and Stratus Events — connecting thousands of entrepreneurs and raising over $250,000 for Canadian charities — to launching Mave & Chez, the women-founded slipper brand featured on Dragon’s Den, their journey is one of purpose, creativity, and resilience. In this episode, they...
Nov 12, 2025•40 min•Season 9Ep. 32
En collaboration avec Gestion FÉRIQUE, nous présentons une édition spéciale de la série « Les femmes ont du génie », enregistrée en direct à Montréal devant public. Animée par Eva Hartling, cette table ronde réunit quatre ingénieures d’exception : Hélène Brisebois, ingénieure associée, vice-présidente et chargée de projet chez SDK, experte reconnue en ingénierie structurale Suzanne Demeules, associée et première vice-présidente, Transport chez CIMA+ Caterina Milioto, présidente et fondatrice d’I...
Nov 12, 2025•50 min•Season 9Ep. 31
Scientifique et entrepreneure, Selwa Rafi, Ph.D. est la fondatrice et cheffe de la direction de KEPLR Intelligence, une entreprise montréalaise spécialisée en science des données et en intelligence artificielle appliquée à la compréhension du comportement humain dans des environnements complexes — de l’aviation à l’aérospatiale. Dans cet épisode, Selwa revient sur son parcours exceptionnel : de ses débuts en recherche jusqu’à la création de sa propre entreprise technologique. Elle partage avec a...
Oct 29, 2025•48 min•Season 9Ep. 30
Maud Cohen est la première femme à diriger Polytechnique Montréal depuis sa création en 1873 — une étape marquante pour le milieu universitaire et de l’ingénierie au Québec. Forte d’un parcours ancré dans l’innovation, la rigueur et le leadership humain, Maud a dirigé plusieurs grandes organisations, dont la Fondation CHU Sainte-Justine et l’Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec. Dans cet épisode, elle revient sur l’évolution du leadership en sciences et en ingénierie, l’importance de la représentation...
Oct 22, 2025•55 min•Season 9Ep. 29
October is World Menopause Month — and it’s time to challenge one of the most persistent myths in our culture: that women’s careers, beauty, and relevance come with an expiration date. Graydon Moffat, founder of Graydon Skincare, has made it her mission to defy that idea. She’s spoken openly about ageism in entrepreneurship and about how women navigating perimenopause and beyond deserve to be seen, supported, and celebrated — not sidelined. Before becoming a skincare founder, Graydon had already...
Oct 08, 2025•47 min•Season 9Ep. 28
Canada is facing a women’s health crisis: three in four women over 40 experience menopausal symptoms that disrupt their daily lives — yet access to care is inconsistent, fragmented, and often out of reach. In this episode of The Brand is Female, highlighting World Menopause Month, Eva Hartling speaks with Dr. Michelle Jacobson, a leading OBGYN who decided to take her expertise beyond the clinic and into entrepreneurship. As co-founder of Coven Women’s Health , she is transforming how women acces...
Oct 01, 2025•45 min•Season 9Ep. 27
Kelsey Irvine is part of the mother/two-daughters trio behind Birch Babe, a Canadian skincare brand that's making waves in the natural beauty industry. Kelsey's career is a blend of creativity, commitment to sustainability, and a keen eye for storytelling. With a background in commercial advertising and documentary directing, she has a unique ability to craft content that looks good and connects on an emotional level. Kelsey isn't just about making things look pretty; she's deeply invested in ma...
Sep 17, 2025•40 min•Season 9Ep. 26
What does it take to challenge centuries of tradition and shift an entire culture’s relationship with alcohol? In this episode, I sit down with Moa Gürbüzer, a former social worker and family therapist who saw firsthand how alcohol harms families and communities. Rather than staying in the therapy room, Moa decided to tackle the issue at its roots: our cultural norms and rituals around drinking. At the age of 55, she founded Oddbird, a Swedish winery dedicated to producing world-class, non-alcoh...
Sep 10, 2025•40 min•Season 9Ep. 25
We’re re-airing this episode as it has been one of our favourites this past season. It features a true pioneer in the period care space: Carinne Chambers-Saini, Founder and CEO of DIVA , the company behind the Original DIVA Cup. What started over 20 years ago as a mother-daughter mission to bring a better, more sustainable alternative to pads and tampons has since grown into a global brand that has reshaped the menstrual care industry. Back in 2002, Carinne and her mom Francine launched DIVA out...
Aug 20, 2025•41 min•Season 9Ep. 24
This week, we’re revisiting one of our fave conversations of the season. Eva chats with Sara Jonsdottir, Founder and CEO of Revol Cares—a company leading the charge in reimagining period care with medically recognized, toxin-free leakproof underwear. Sara shares her journey from identifying critical gaps in women’s health and sustainability to launching an innovative product that puts safety, comfort, and dignity first. We talk about what it takes to fundraise in a space often ignored by investo...
Aug 14, 2025•36 min•Season 9Ep. 23
What do you get when a childhood CEO dream, a boring date night, and a refusal to settle for burnout collide? You get Mandy Balak’s playbook for building brands, leading communities, and living life on purpose. In this episode, Mandy—entrepreneur, coach, and President of The Gathering—shares how she turned a last-minute class project into a media company, why her monthly Integration Day is non-negotiable, and what it really takes to build a legacy without losing yourself in the hustle. We talk a...
Jul 30, 2025•41 min•Season 9Ep. 22
With summer in full swing and fewer people tuning in weekly (because… vacation!)—we’re revisiting some of our favourite episodes from the past year—ones that deserve another listen as we hit the halfway mark. Kaelen Haworth is a designer and entrepreneur who has navigated the ever-changing world of fashion with creativity and adaptability. After launching her namesake brand in 2009 and earning a spot in the CFDA Incubator program, she built a reputation for effortless, modern womenswear. She lat...
Jul 03, 2025•45 min•Season 9Ep. 21
In this episode of The Brand is Female, Eva Hartling sits down with Cynthia Sakai, founder of evolvetogether , the elevated personal care brand that took the world by storm with its mission-driven, design-forward essentials. Launched at the start of the pandemic with a medical-grade face mask that quickly became a celebrity favourit e, evolvetoget her has since grown into a full line of high-performance products for daily life—combining sustainability, science, and style. -Cynthia shares her jou...
Jun 25, 2025•33 min•Season 9Ep. 20
