More and more commonly, workplaces and institutions are adopting the usage of pronouns in email signatures or in classrooms, and this is a really important step to ensure that all gender identities are welcomed and supported! However, discrimination against 2SLGBTQIA+ community is still extremely prevalent, and transgender people face epidemic levels of violence. It is more important than ever to discuss gender, identity, and preferences with our friends and family to create safer experiences for those who are nonbinary.

This week on the podcast, we couldn't be more excited to welcome a guest who has had their own journey coming to be proud of who they really are, and is willing to share their experiences and knowledge with our listeners!

Ashton O’Brien (they/she), a 32 year old non-binary person, is the current President of Kamloops Pride Society, being involved with the organization since 2019. Alongside their work organizing inclusive and fun events for the Kamloops community, Ashton also does countless hours of work off the side of their desk to help make their workplace more inclusive at BCLC, where Ashton has worked as an IT professional for 11 years. 

Through this interview, Ashton and I actually realized we not only work together, but in the same department, and at the time of the interview, were both working on putting on BCLCs International Women's Day event! - so throughout the episode you’ll hear us mention our workplace and IWD. 

This interview could have gone forever, and we touched on so many topics - from Ashton's experience with their own gender and identity growing up in BC interior, ways to talk to those people in your life who are not as understanding of different gender identities or preferences, how workplaces can take action to be more inclusive, and how to be better feminists!

Follow Kamloops Pride on Instagram and Facebook at @kamloopspride

Check out www.kamloopspride.com for educational and community resources.

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New year, sober me? Is that how the saying goes?

In the early weeks of a new year, people around the world try to accomplish new goals or quit old habits, and one of the most popular things do to is "Dry January." This year, more people participated in Dry January (taking a break from alcohol for the month) than ever before!

Sobriety is at the forefront of our internet conversations more and more. From reality TV stars thriving in their sobriety, to the fitness influencers acknowledging the harms of alcohol, being 'sober' is becoming less taboo and more recognized.

Despite it being more prevalent, becoming sober (for any reason) is a lot harder in practice. No one knows the ups and downs of sobriety better than this week's guest, Michelle Pugle, who is now over 18 months sober and has had a major life transformation due to it.

Michelle Pugle is a educational health writer, creative author and poet who has previously graced the podcast to discuss her experience with an eating disorder and the impacts of social media on mental health. This week, Michelle dives into the details of her sobriety journey - from day one to year one - and her story provides actual advice on how to navigate social scenarios and family relationship while being sober. We discuss the changes she has experienced with dating, support groups, friendships and even with how she watches reality tv!

Michelle also spills the details on her new book and the re-release of Ana, Mia & Me!

You can find Michelle at www.michellepugle.com for updates on new articles and posts, and you can follow her at @michellepugle on Instagram & Facebook.

Follow the Boss Chicks @bosschickproject @kenn_gabrielle & @cassandramilk on Instagram

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Community can feel like an abstract concept, but it truly takes a conscious effort to create one that is empowers its members. This week's guests could teach a master class on community building, as they have done just that through their evolving partnership.

Brianne and Calli first bonded over their common appreciation for creativity, and that bond developed into motivation as they created Makeshift workspace. Through that first endeavor, they built a community of people that valued inclusivity and sustainability, encouraging them to expand into their first retail space - a little store you may have heard of - Far and Wide.

Far and Wide aims to continually develop that sense of community based on their core values, while promoting local, sustainable, vintage, and beautiful products. Since the opening of Far and Wide, they have seen immense support. They have now expanded into a new, larger retail space, and they have added a second store, the Botanical Scene.

In this episode, Brianne and Calli discuss their partnership journey, they let us in on their best home design secrets, and they provide some real life advice for women looking to start their own businesses.

They are huge inspirations for us with their business model focusing on sustainability, collaboration, positivity and inclusivity - these are values we hope to promote in what we do, and their success absolutely encourages other businesses to take a similar lens to conducting business. 

If you have a spare moment before the holidays, pop into Far + Wide and the Botanical Scene to find those perfect, one of a kind gifts! Both stores are located on Victoria street, downtown Kamloops.

Check out Brianne, Calli, Far + Wide, and the Botanical Scene:

@brianne_mcdaniel

@calli.duncan

@far_and_wide_bc

@botanical.scene

Follow the Boss Chicks

@thebosschickproject

@cassandramilk

@kennedyaberdeen

Support us through our Patreon:

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The Boss Chick Project is back with an incredible impactful interview with Michele Walker and Jacquie Brand of the Y Women's Emergency Shelter.

Its hard to imagine that in Canada, 1/2 of all women have experienced an incident of physical or sexual violence, and that this statistic is above the global average of 1/3. But these are not just statistics, these are our mothers, daughters, children, and loved ones - women who instill vibrancy and compassion into our communities.

We are so lucky to have had the opportunity to learn more about the realities of women who face violence and how to combat violence in our communities during our interview.

Michele Walker is the General Manager for Violence Against Women Intervention and Support Services, and Jacquie Brand is the Director for Violence Against Women Intervention and Support Services. Both women have spent their careers protecting and helping vulnerable women and children in the community. At the Y Women's Emergency Shelter, they have worked the frontlines to ensure these women are safe, provided resources, and have worked with the children and family counselling programs.

During our interview, we discuss the different types of violence that women often face, the systemic factors that cause Indigenous women to be more likely to suffer from violence, how to create change through unlearning, and how to support women and children who may be experiencing violence.

If you or someone you know needs access to the shelter and its resources, call their 24/7 line: 250-374-6162 or text: 250-682-7931

For more information on supporting the Y Women's Shelter, go to www.kamloopsy.org/vawiss

Support the BCP by downloading this episode and leaving a review.

Follow the Boss Chicks @thebosschickproject on Instagram and Facebook

While most of Canadians enjoy the blue skies of Summer, Kenn and Cass, alongside most British Columbians, are stuck inside due to the immense smoke from wildfires. The fire that swept through the town of Lytton and the fire in a Kamloops neighborhood has made everyone more aware of the climate crisis we are facing. Kenn and Cass have struggled to find ways they can contribute to stopping climate change, and luckily, this week's guests have a solution.

Katie and Claire from Friendly Composting are on the podcast to discuss their business and the impacts of composting! Friendly Composting took Kamloops by storm in 2020, growing to over 600 subscribers in less than a year. After being frustrated with the lack of options for food waste in the city, best friends and roommates Katie and Claire decided to start a composting pick-up and drop-off program of their very own. Through Friendly Compositing, the two girls have encouraged hundreds to become environmentally conscious, and they have diverted thousands of pounds of food waste from the landfill, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and creating nutrient rich soil. They also expanded their business to include food delivery from local farms and shops!

Katie and Claire make it easy to start making a different in the fight against climate change, and they answer all composting questions during this interview! They also have Kenn and Cass seeing double being another dynamic "K & C" duo!

Sign up for your compost bin at Friendlycomposting.ca and support them on Instagram @friendlycomposting.ca

Dont forget to follow and support the Boss Chicks on Instagram @thebosschickproject, @kenn_gabrielle and @cassandramilk. Check out our website at www.thebosschickproject.com

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As the artist Yung Baby Tate once said, " I am healthy; I am wealthy; I am rich; I am that chick." Kenn and Cass love the Hot Girl Summer movement, but they realized that their definition is more along the lines of focusing on their health and wellness than anything else!

So they want to introduce to you: Healthy Girl Summer! By using advice and lessons they have learned from past guests, they are taking the time to be the healthiest, best versions of themselves. During this episode, they remember the advice about self-care and routine from Baneet, maintaining a healthy body image when online from Michelle, and even a sneak peak piece of advice from an upcoming guest about managing your workload.

The girls are so happy to be back and sharing their life updates with you! 

Oh, and if you download, subscribe, and leave a review, we might just send you Kenn's famous risotto recipe!

The past year since graduation, Kenn and Cass have really struggled with discovering exactly what their purpose in life is. Especially during Covid, it is the most difficult subject to grasp without getting overwhelmed. Fortunately, this week's guest helps the girls recognize a different way to live and think by being present and using mind-body connection therapy.

Erin Tetarenko is a wellness, mind and body coach living in Australia that connects her education in kinesiology and psychology with her yoga practice to create holistic programs for clients who are struggling with their current way of life. After noticing the negative physical impacts of the stress and struggles she faced during her education, she not only realized that mental health directly affects your physical well-being, but she also recognized that the expected path she was on was not the most healthy one. Erin was able to take control of that struggle and use her experience and education to help clients become more aware and mindful.

During their discussion, Erin explains the various ways she helps her clients begin to connect their mind and body and to become more mindful. The girls chat about the impacts of stress and burnout,  the importance of rest, the power of breath work, and overcoming insecurities. Erin also provides Kenn and Cass personalized advice to the tensions that they are facing in their daily lives.

Erin details the various courses she has, Awakening Resilience and Self Leaderships, that help clients become more self-aware and redefine success, and she outlines what you can expect if you sign up for her incredible retreats!

To learn more about Erin and her services, visit www.erintetarenko.com and follow her on Instagram @erin.tetarenko.

Follow the Boss Chicks on Instagram @thebosschickproject, @kenn_gabrielle, and @cassandramilk, and on TikTok @thebosschickproject, or check out our website at www.thebosschickproject.com

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 It is imperative that all boss chicks participate in Hot Girl Summer (HGS) this year, and the most important part of HGS is self care. Kenn and Cass have been manifesting, meditating, focusing on their health; however, they are missing one crucial self-care practice that is necessary to achieve HGS - fixing their financial health. 

The world of finance can be intimidating. There is a ton of jargon, it's male dominated, and it can seem overwhelming, but this week's guest addresses it all during the episode. Taylor Bertoli is an associate at Abbott Wealth Management in Kamloops, and she found her career in finance through a combination of her economics degree, a keen interest in personal finance, and through mentors that have influenced her. Taylor can translate the world of finance into a comprehensible discussion, making it less intimidating and even exciting!

Taylor answered all of our questions and gave the best tips for recent graduates looking to start saving. Stocks, Bonds, RRSPs, TFSAs, Investments - Taylor breaks it all down for us, and she even gives insight to the wild world of crypto-currency!

Everyone can do more to improve their financial health, and with Taylor's advice, it can all be achieved. And most importantly, this episode will help you identify the real 'finance bro's' from the fake ones.

Check out Taylor at Abbott Wealth Management through their website at www.abbottwealth.com or find her on Instagram at @taybertoli!

Follow the Boss Chicks on Instagram at @thebosschickproject, @kenn_gabrielle, and @cassandramilk. Check them out on TikTok at @thebosschickproject and learn more about past episodes and how you can become a guest at www.thebosschickproject.com.

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