Introduction
This March, we launched an 8-episode podcast series as part of our Startup Women Podcast in partnership with CIBC Business Banking, hosted by Mallory Rowan, and recorded at Studio House Toronto.
We are officially at the halfway point in the series. Four episodes in, four episodes to go. Each conversation has gone deep into the moments that don’t always make it into the highlight reel for founders: pivotal decisions, the hard lessons, and the quietly remarkable things that happen when women build with intention.
Here’s a look back at the standout moments, best advice, and takeaway moments we’re still thinking about.
Episode 1: How to Start a Beauty Brand with $4,000 with Connie Lo
Three Ships started in a kitchen with $4,000 in savings and a shared frustration with the beauty industry that was overpriced and greenwashed. Connie and her co-founder, Laura, bootstrapped from hand-making products to 400+ retailers across North America and over $16 million in revenue in 2025!
In this episode, Connie shared how a 2021 flood that wiped out the highway between Vancouver and the rest of Canada* nearly derailed their biggest sales period, Black Friday. Rather than writing off the season, the two of them had Laura’s dad and uncle load the last available truck, drive it through the United States, and bring the packaging to Ontario, where the whole team packed thousands of products by hand in Connie’s parents’ basement. That Black Friday… They hit $1 million in sales.
Takeaway: Self-confidence comes from keeping the promises you make to yourself, and it accumulates through experience. You can’t shortcut it.
Episode 2: After Service: Building Space and Community for Women Veterans with Sandra Perron
In 1990, Sandra made history as Canada’s first female infantry officer. When she left the military earlier than expected, she found herself without the built-in support network that so many men leave the military with.
Now she is making waves with Pepper Pod, the non-profit retreat centre she founded in 2020. Pepper Pod exists to give women veterans the support network they deserve, located on an 18-acre alpaca farm in Chelsea, Quebec, with a waitlist of nearly 500 women!
Sandra’s measure of success has been the number of retreats she runs; it’s the connections women leave with, the groups that go on to celebrate birthdays, support each other through hard seasons, and show up the way her own support system has for her when she couldn’t leave her deployment to attend her grandmother’s funeral.
Takeaway: Before you start building, do the inner work first. Sandra’s advice is to make peace with what’s unresolved, forgive what needs forgiving, and clear space for the energy entrepreneurship is going to ask of you.
Episode 3: From Slack Group to Building a Community for Women Investors with Bhargavi Varma
What started as a Slack group of six to seven friends looking for deal flow and community in the angel investing space led to the creation of Brown Girl Angels.
What really changed for them was all because of a single cold DM… Bhargavi reached out to Simran Kaura of Girls That Invest during a Toronto book tour, not to pitch anything, but to celebrate her. The event she put together in response sold out, had zero drop-off, and generated so much feedback that Bhargavi could no longer ignore what she had built.
In the episode, Bhargavi offers a reframe for founders who are sitting in fear. When you’re scared, you’re making it about yourself. Move into service mode, and the fear circuits quiet down.
Takeaway: Fear is often self-focused. The moment you shift from “what if I fail” to “who does this serve,” something changes. Bhargavi describes it as becoming a conduit rather than the point.
Episode 4: Networking, Identity, and Building Monday Girl with Rachel Wong
Monday Girl started as a Facebook group born out of a Sunday conversation about dreading the work week. Nine years later… Monday Girl is a digital network of over 100,00 women with in-person summits in Toronto, New York, and San Francisco.
Rachel built Monday Girl while working full-time at Uber for six years, using her corporate salary as the business’s early runway rather than seeking outside funding. She candidly spoke about first-generation immigrant identity, the internal work that running a business forces you to do, and what it actually means to take a calculated risk. For example, their San Francisco summer
Takeaway: Rachel’s parents used to tell her to dig a well before she was thirsty. She watched them learn that lesson the hard way in 2008, and it shaped how she thinks about building relationships and runway long before you need them.
What’s Next
Four more episodes to go. We’ll be back with another recap once the second half of the series wraps up. In the meantime, catch up on any episodes you’ve missed at the links above, and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming. Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, and watch on YouTube!
About CIBC Business Banking and Women Entrepreneurs Hub
CIBC Business Banking is dedicated to supporting women entrepreneurs at every stage of their unique business journeys as they help reshape Canada’s business landscape. This commitment is reflected in the launch of the Women Entrepreneurs Hub and the partnership with Startup Canada. By fostering a supportive community, CIBC aims to empower women business owners to overcome barriers and achieve lasting success, because investing in women entrepreneurs strengthens communities, drives economic progress, and inspires the next generation of women leaders
About Startup Canada
Startup Canada is the gateway to Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Since our inception in 2012, Startup Canada has grown to support more than 130,000 entrepreneurs annually. Through our flagship and digital programs, we provide guidance, eliminate barriers, and champion the needs of each and every entrepreneur. For more information, visit startupcan.ca.