Day 4: 7 Days, 7 Photos

Day 4 of 7 Days, 7 Photos

by me Jenifer Lapierre

Day 3: 7 Days, 7 Photos

On Day 3 of 7 days, 7 photos what else would be more appropriate on a saturday!

Photo by me Jenifer Lapierre

Day 2: 7 days, 7 photos

Day 2: The road block today was that with the windchill it was -35 celsius outside. I believe my camera is only suppose to work at -6 so this photo is not my best. Once again as you all know this photo is by me, Jenifer Lapierre

Day One: 7 Days, 7 Photos

The first of 7 days, 7 photos has begun! Now due to unusually high winds and quite a bit of snow, I decided against outdoor shots this time. I have had to shoot in rain, on very cold days, through fog and high winds. This is just for fun so I said to myself, I'll pass on the trek and find something else to shoot.

Of course, this photo is by me, Jenifer Lapierre.

Interview by Tyler Conium

Hi Everyone,
I was interviewed by Tyler Conium of The Swamp. If you have the time check it out, it's all in audio! We talked about my photography and writing. Check it out http://www.tylerconium.com/2010/01/interview-with-jen-lapierre.html

Fashion's Future

Ben Barry, 26, Ben Barry Agency, Best selling author

Within 26 years, Ben Barry has written a best selling novel, been on CNN, The Oprah Show, has run a business for over a decade and is in the process of attaining his PHD from Cambridge University. This Canadian has demonstrated how young entrepreneurs can

help change the

Photo provided by Ben Barry Agency

face of an industry.

Ben Barry was like any other 14 year old boy, his interests were cross country running and hanging out with his friends but this was not all that he was destined to do at such a young age. Ben went to visit a friend with modeling aspirations and she told him how she had spent $3000 on such things as how to walk the runway, how to do make up and creating a modeling portfolio. After spending this money, she was told that in order to be in the industry she would need to go down quite a few dress sizes. Being a size 8, they informed her, that she would need to go down to a size 2. Ben listened to what his friend had to say and looked through her portfolio. His feeling about his friend’s photos was not the same as the previous opinion she had received. “The picture could be in a magazine or on a billboard, again I knew nothing about the industry but I thought she was beautiful.” Ben made the decision to send the photos to a local Ottawa magazine with a note indicating that he felt that they should hire this model and gave his name and phone number. “I didn't think much of it. I went back to everything else in my life. I studied for math tests, cross country running etc but then I got a call back from the fashion editor. The editor said that they loved the model, wanted to hire her and assumed that I was her agent. I just said yeah sure, I’m her agent and you know I just kind of played along with it. They asked for a fax number and I gave them my mom’s office fax number and they said great we look forward to working with you.” Ben built his business from his parents’ basement and within a year, he had 30 models that he was representing and found the time to do this at lunch, after school and on weekends.

While still in high school, Ben received a phone call from The Oprah Show and obviously being surprised that they were calling assumed that it was a joke and hung up the phone. They called back and realizing that it was actually them, he apologized for the hang up and later appeared on the show to discuss his business and his unique message. After the show aired, he received thousands of emails from people across North America demonstrating their support. “That support from everyday women is so encouraging for everyone on my team. Obviously, what we’re doing is quote ‘revolutionary’ in the industry. This goes against their entire mantra, their entire philosophy, that to sell a product you have to present an unattainable ideal. Everyday we are up against a great deal of resistance despite the successes that we've had but the support from everyday people is what helps us move ahead.”
By the time Ben was heading to university he had an office in Ottawa with approximately 150 models and his own staff. Ben decided to move to Toronto for his undergrad and opened an office and eventually moved his business there as well. Barry’s modeling agency has a unique message that stands out amongst its competitors and this is due to the fact that Barry uses real women that are not only a size 2 but a size 14 as well. “They (consumer) are sick of being bombarded with a stereotype of beauty that they know looks nothing like them and never will so they crave authenticity. We help brands reconnect with consumers so they feel empowered not discouraged by the images.” He indicates that he is not trying to get rid of the size zeros or two’s, “What we’re advocating is for body, age and racial diversity and not diversity for the sake of diversity but for brands to look at their target market and to reflect the diversity within that market.”
At the age of 24, Ben wrote a best seller called Fashioning Reality: A New Generation of Entrepreneurship which shared his story as well as other young entrepreneurs. “The vision of entrepreneurship which I think is natural to our generation is using business as a vehicle for social change. The most innovative ideas make money by solving a social problem. I wanted to share my story but also tell people that I am not an exceptional case. There are a lot of young people running cool businesses right now. The first part of the book shares my experience while the second part shares stories of young people across North America that are doing well by doing good.”
The advice that Ben has for young entrepreneurs or people considering going down this path is, “You don’t have to wait until you’re older to begin making your business. You have all the skills and all the experience to start now. No matter how much preparation you do, there is always a chance of failure. The key lesson is to act and if you make a mistake, to learn from it and continue going. The second key point is people are often scared to start their own business because they think they don’t have a lot of money…be creative with your capital, to make a list of everything you need and then in one column put a dollar amount but in the next column put in friends that can help you. That can make your business cards and design them for free, maybe a friend’s mother or father that can lend you an office in the evenings if you need client meetings. To look for goods in kind and friends with skill who can help you. What you’ll find is often you don’t need a lot of money to begin because you have all of those key resources around you already.”

If you would like to know more about Ben Barry, you can check out his website
http://www.benbarry.com/

Written by Jenifer Lapierre

The Sweetest Thing

Juanita Koo, 36, Creator of Custom designed cakes and cupcakes and a Personal trainer

A year and a half ago, Juanita Koo’s life was packed with triathlons, marathons, volunteering as a coach, her hobby as a cake decorator and she was also juggling a career. “I really thought I was balanced but I wasn’t really. I was just trying to fit in as much as

Photo courtesy of Juanita Koo

Note: The purse in above photo is a cake.

possible.” This woman, originally a director for a software company knew prior to her lay off that this path was not what she desired to do with the rest of her life. Although there were perks that came with being in such a position, she felt that she needed to move forward in another direction and follow her passions. Juanita Koo is an example of when times get tough, it’s time to get creative! “In April 2007, I knew for sure I had to leave that place, I was not happy. I actually remember, I was on the airplane with my boss and he was the CTO of the company, I said you know what, I will give you one more year of my life, I have to leave because this is not what I am meant to do. He just goes what are you going to do? And I go, I want to do cakes. We’re literally in first class, drinking champagne going to London for work. It was just very ironic and this is what I am doing a year and a half later and I love it! I wouldn’t change a thing.” Juanita has no regrets in regards to previously being a director of a software company due to feeling that this has helped her business with the knowledge she obtained.

Juanita was out with friends discussing their interests and things that they love and she explained to her friends that she “always loved really cool wedding cakes…they said you could probably take a course to learn that stuff and I never really thought about it. The next day I just googled cake decorating in Toronto and that popped up and I signed up.” Now, Juanita creates custom made cakes and cupcakes that appear to be as tasty as they are pleasing to the eye and to create some balance in her life she is also a personal trainer. “Now, when I kind of got the kick in the pants to figure out what I was doing, I realized it’s a total balance. I love coaching people it is so rewarding and then what my hobby was before is now my own little business. It’s so amazing; they don’t feel like jobs at all! It’s just my hobbies are my life!” The first cake that Juanita was proud of was her first creation in her cake decorating class. It was pink with flowers and cupcakes on top and as she puts it, “It was ugly; I have it posted on my blog, actually. It’s horrible! I just realized that it was something that I was going to do and it just continued. Every cake I’ve made, I loved it. I never felt that way about anything.”
Juanita’s advice and what she has to say about being an entrepreneur is “I really believe everything happens for a reason, I know that sounds cliché. My life has been such a rollercoaster in the last few years. People always say that I’m positive but I have had a lot of lows. It’s really tough when you get laid off…You just have to be resourceful! Everything I’ve learned up to that point, I was able to apply. I was working at a marketing software company, now I have this blog and I can’t believe how many visitors are on there commenting on me. I’m really into twitter and all that stuff, it just comes naturally now…I use to write communication pieces too, I wrote to a home renovation show saying I lost my job…and I was picked for the show and the show came and renovated my basement into my cake studio. It was just being resourceful and seeing every opportunity…Running your own business has taught me so much, I am still learning so much…It’s hard running your own business but it’s also exciting and I wouldn’t do it any differently!”

If you would like to see Juanita’s designs, this is her blog
http://sweetthings-toronto.blogspot.com/

She can also be found on twitter @SweetThingsTo

Written by Jenifer Lapierre

Spreading the Light

Stacey Bafi-Yeboa, 30, Owner and designer of Kania Clothing

Stacey Bafi-Yeboa the sole owner and designer of the clothing line Kania (Ka-knee-ah) meaning light, was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario. From about 18 years old until her 27^th year she traveled, touring the United States dancing on Broadway, and also doing television,

Photo by: Jenifer Lapierre

film, cruises and car shows. By the age of 20, she was on Broadway doing Saturday Night Fever. Even though Yeboa flourished as a dancer, her abilities go beyond the realm of dance, as she now spreads the light by running a successful clothing line with the message that clothing can be comfortable yet still fashionable. “My whole mission is to make clothing that is very comfortable and that women can exude radiance while wearing it. I also give a portion of my proceeds to charity which is another way that I help spread the light.” Although Stacey dedicated herself and trained in dance, she always knew that she had a love for fashion. “My mom always had a sewing machine at home so I was able to sew all the time. I’m a performer, I danced on Broadway, I've done films and stuff like that and so I've always been making clothes for myself to go to auditions. People kept asking me where I got it and so that’s how I developed my line.”

For many years although Stacey had not yet created a clothing line, this self taught designer always seemed to be making and creating clothes for herself and other people. “I always wanted to go to fashion school. I took a course in high school…I knew I loved fashion since then but I never went into fashion school, post secondary because I went into dance. I've always designed dresses for people since I was young.” Stacey feels that her inspiration can come from many sources and at any time of day. She believes that she, “can feel inspired by just seeing someone walking down the street; it can be anything that inspires me, new people, new places.” Stacey has a distinct way of ensuring comfort and fashion for women as she designs all of her clothing on herself. “A lot of designers design on a dress form which is a kind of model size but I design on my body. Essentially, I get my fabric, I have an idea for what I want and I design it on my body. I find it works a lot better because I know what I want for my body type. It really translates to an actual real life woman and how they want to dress and how they want to feel comfortable.”

The event that I had the opportunity to attend called Flaunt Ottawa had 30 independent designers and a portion of the event proceeds went to the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre and 100% of all silent auction items went to the centre as well. Every year, Stacey chooses a charity to give a portion of her clothing line sales, as well as the event, the foundation that she has decided on this year is the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre. Her decision to give to this foundation was inspired by an encounter with a woman who received an artificial heart from the foundation. Stacey was at her booth when a fashionable woman that frequently purchases Kania clothing during her One of a Kind shows in Toronto, had explained to Stacey how she loved Kania due to its level of comfort and the ability to still look fashionable while wearing it. Stacey felt honored by this and from that point made the decision that this would be the charity that she gave too.

Stacey’s advice to other young entrepreneurs is “I think the whole thing is to just go for it and to really feel one with your product and feel confident. If you don’t love your product, you won’t be able to sell it to other people…You have to exude that passion towards things and you have to stay focused…It may not come easy at the beginning but to just keep going for it.”

If you would like to know the store locations or any further information about Kania, you can go to http://www.kania.ca/

Written by: Jenifer Lapierre

Meet MTV's Evan Starkman

Photo by: Peter Hurley

Evan Starkman, 25, MTV Reality Competitor, Branch Out Clothing Owner, Branch Out Now Founder, Suck Yeah Clothing Co-owner

Two seasons ago, Evan Starkman made Canadians proud on the MTV RW/RR challenge, The Duel 2 by winning the first place prize of $100,000. “I kind of felt like I won the lottery, it’s perfect. It is worth a lot more in Canadian, that’s for sure.” On the latest MTV challenge entitled The Ruins, Evan has once again taken home the first place prize along with fellow competitor and co-owner of Suck Yeah Clothing, Kenny Santucci.

At the age of 20, while attending Cornell University on a hockey scholarship, Evan’s life changed forever. Evan decided to audition for MTV’s Real World Key West but unfortunately would need to forfeit his student visa in order to be part of the show and also unaware of the shows popularity due to it not yet being on Canadian television; decided he would have to pass. One week later, he received a phone call from MTV requesting that he be on a challenge show called Fresh Meat, he accepted and from that point on Evan has been on six challenges and as a result, this has enabled him to do some great things and allow youth to find ways to help their community and beyond. Many people are aware of Evan the reality show competitor however something that might be surprising is his philanthropic nature and his desire to change the world.

In 2005, Evan founded Branch Out Clothing, a line designed to give to charities. Branch Out Clothing originally grew out of the foundation he founded called Branch Out Now which was based on empowering youth to take action and change the world. “Some people went off and did huge things with it and other people did small local projects but it was all based on youth empowerment.” Evan soon realized after being on MTV and continually being re-invited to shows that there was an “unbelievable marketing potential that I had, not only to network but also because I do interviews, travel the world on speaking tours and bar appearances…How can I get kids more involved in Branch Out Now, that’s where Branch Out Clothing started. If we could sell t-shirts that were not only cool and also carried a message and follow up with those for Branch Out Now, that would be a beautiful thing. Each shirt has a unique code printed on the inside of it and once you buy a shirt, you go on our website, type in the code and it shows you where the money has been donated. You’re automatically signed up for Branch Out Now which will hound you with emails, press packets and basically force you to change the world, that’s what we do.” The company has recently been restructured and signed an exclusivity deal with Plan Canada and will be concentrating on the Because I am a Girl campaign. “Once women go to high school in the third world, they stop becoming a possession and they become a woman and a person which is really important.” Evan believes the youth of North America are incredible people who are creative, have quite a bit of energy and the resources to change the world. “They (youth) say I want to change the world, I just don’t know how and all Branch Out Clothing really does is say why don’t you just do something as simple as make a better T-shirt choice. Buy a cool t-shirt that is hip and trendy and just upgrade your clothing choice. By doing that you’ll be exposed to and learn about a whole range of charitable issues.”

Branch Out Clothing and MTV’s challenge shows are not Starkman’s only endeavors. He is currently in the middle of publishing a children’s book and has recently launched his second clothing line which is made and manufactured in Canada and the United States called Suck Yeah with fellow competitor and best friend Kenny Santucci. This line is a much more rambunctious line that demonstrates Evan’s multifaceted nature by having a responsible line and a line that clearly has a fun, less serious message. “We’re bringing back the idea that you should be able to feel good in just a t-shirt and go to the bar and be the badass guy that you want to be…The whole idea of Suck Yeah is to make clothing for men that appeals to women.” They make the conscious decision to create these t-shirts in North America and take the financial hit because as Starkman puts it “One of my clothing lines is a charity and the other one I need to sleep at night.” Evan adds that there’s absolutely no way that he could manufacture Suck Yeah in a sweat shop while trying to spread the message of changing the world. Although this line is currently selling men’s t-shirts, Evan believes that they will eventually expand and have women’s t-shirts as well.

The advice that Evan would like to give young entrepreneurs is “Try. Let’s put it this way, I’m 24 years old, I don’t have a girlfriend and most of my life despite even all of my companies, fits into a bag. This is as rich as I’ll ever be, if you’re young and an entrepreneur that’s as rich as you’ll ever be. Even if I go on and make a hundred million dollars, now all of a sudden, I have big problems. I can’t leave my house for 3 hours without someone calling to ask what do you want to do with this account, that account, with the couch, you probably have a dog, you have a car, you have bill payments…Right now if you’re young and an entrepreneur then that’s as rich as you’ll ever be even if you only have a $1000 in the bank…as soon as you start making money and accumulating things, your wealth actually decreases in my mind. I just feel that while I’m young and have this great opportunity as I said I do, to be young and frivolous and stupid, take advantage of it. Life will catch up with you eventually, do you want to look back and say you never took a shot?”

Evan can be found on twitter @Evanmtv and if you would like to check out his clothing lines here are the links.

http://branchoutclothing.com/

http://suckyeah.com/

Note: This article was written when Evan Starkman was 24, he has now also created http://mycollegesurvival.wordpress.com/ which looks to give advice to College students.

Written by: Jenifer Lapierre