Loaded Bow

Andrea Baxter Launches Bratface

Posted in Bended Bow with tags Andrea Baxter, Bratface Marketing, Launching a new company, Marketing, social media on July 6, 2009 by genennis

Bratface: [brat-feys] noun – a term of endearment used towards the people in your life that you love that just seem to drive you a little batty every now and then.

- Urban Dictionary

We first spoke with Andrea Baxter last year about the remarkable story of Smart Cookies, the first company that she co-founded. Today, she’s back to talk about her latest business venture, Bratface Marketing.

Andrea knows the importance of investing in your story, brand and identity, and understands the exponential benefits of pulling a great team together to do so. She is passionate about marketing as an outlet for her creativity and her ability to connect others. Here, Andrea tells us about branching out on her own.

Loaded Bow: How did Bratface come to be?

Andrea Baxter: Prior to Smart Cookies, I worked in marketing and I was painfully missing it. It’s a real creative outlet for me. Also, an important part of the Smart Cookies philosophy is about making more dough, so I thought what better way then to work in my area of expertise? I still had contacts in the industry, and was doing projects here and there, so creating a marketing company just made sense. I love working in a team, but it is also really exciting to be able to make decisions independently and one I can call all my own.

Inevitably, I’m asked about the name! I wanted a name that would reflect my personality, my culture and my history. Bratface is a term commonly used in Newfoundland where I was born. It’s actually in the Newfoundland Dictionary (yes, we have our own dictionary)! Bratface was one of the nicknames my father called me when I was being a bit cheeky. That’s special to me because my father is not only my business mentor, but someone who I am very close with and have a great deal of respect for. He was very successful by 28, but he was always very fair and very modest. Bratface was a good fit because it balanced being conservative, having fun and was true to my playful nature. It adds just a touch of smartass as well!

LB: How will you market Bratface?

AB: It has been a very organic process. My contacts have been a really valuable source, and I have been able to benefit from word-of-mouth marketing. I am so thankful that I kept my foot in the door, while staying under the radar! Networking continues to be really important. And of course, it’s important to implement social media marketing initiatives through blogging, Facebook and Twitter. For any small business getting off the ground, these are great outlets to use where you can get access to so many business people.

I met SARAH McLACHLAN!

Posted in Events Attended, Loaded Bow: Following Our Story with tags meeting your idol, Sarah McLachlan, The Greatest Salesman in the World, Unite with Art Gala on June 4, 2009 by loadedbow

Sarah-McLachlan-Wintersong-377596

I never thought I would really meet her. I no longer listen to Sarah’s music, but for a LARGE part of my life, Sarah meant everything to me. Sarah’s music was the way I learned that I had a voice. I took my mom to her very first concert to Lilith Fair. I sang “I Will Remember You” at both one of my best friend’s grads and at my aunt’s funeral. Sarah’s has always been my only real icon of the youth I loved and hated and fought through. She was often the woman I looked to to show me how to follow my dreams and use my words and voice to communicate what I am passionate about in this life. She is the only person I have ever owned a poster of.

SarahMcLachlan

I never thought it would really mean anything to me to meet her. I had never considered it. But that’s the way it is with the great times in life that take you by surprise and take your breath away. I was literally panting (I’m sure she thought that was hot) while I met her, had cheese and wine breath and just kept saying “Thank you for your work.” It strikes me odd that I would say “Thank you for your work.” But now as I am a mother and an artist and an entrepreneur, I really see how all this work I put in, transfers into many things for many people. My work turns into money for our family, inspiration to teens and other women, a way of learning life that is often so challenging for me, a way to form professional friendships and many other unknown forms of energy that move into the world and affect every person I encounter. Sarah has no idea what her music meant to me, but I am so grateful to have met her last night.

When you give, things come back to you again and again. I gave a piece of art to Unite with Art which is a huge fundraiser for children living with AIDS. Last week, a client found me through their website and then I got to meet thier interior designer. I then got to be at the gala, make a connection with a woman artist whom I greatly admire, and then meet Sarah McLachlan! The Greatest Salesman in the World suggests that you give away half of your worldly possesions. How much would we recieve if we were to give that much? For now, give what you can, and one day, you too may meet Sarah McLachlan!

zoe+loadedbow

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This was supposed to be about Word of Mouth Marketing… but ended up being about the ecological impact of your tampons

Posted in Bended Bow with tags environmental impact of tampons, word of mouth marketing on June 3, 2009 by genennis

Having just celebrated our first birthday, we are feeling a bit reminiscent! Over the next few days, expect to see some of our favourite posts from the past year… starting with tampons.

Well, ladies, if you have been considering starting a blog, I have news that may tip the scale for you. You can get free tampons. Really, if that doesn’t convince you…

This morning FedEx delivered a big box that held a tote bag filled with all sorts of goodies… and a crazy number of tampons.

Shortly after we launched LOADED BOW Zoe and I received an email from a word of mouth marketing company out of Toronto. After playing phone tag for a few weeks, we connected with one of the women working on the project. We were asked if we would be interested in receiving a promotional package from o.b., and in return, we would need to talk about the products. She made it very clear that whatever we had to say could be positive or negative.

Considering that Zoe is pregnant, I got dibs on this particular ‘assignment’.

My initial reaction was that I really don’t have that much to say about tampons. Then the WOM lady pointed out the difference in waste between a traditional tampon and an o.b. tampon. That, I can talk about.

A few minutes of online research reveals that the average woman will use approximately 10,000 tamponsover the course of her lifetime. That is a whole lotta applicators being flushed down the toilet. Literally. Currently, o.b. is the only tampon in Canada and the US that doesn’t have an applicator. That is something I can advocate for. There are feminine hygiene products are are far more eco-friendly than o.b. tampons, like The Keeper, but for those of you who are a bit squeamish, applicator-free tampons just may be a good place to start.

I have been puttering around the o.b. site for the last few minutes and I just finished watching a little animation with an ant that is supposed to be analogous to an o.b. tampon. The screen then reads: try carrying an elephant in your purse and you’ll know how it feels. I have carried tampons in my purse for years and not once has it crossed my mind that it felt like lugging around a large mammal. On occassion, I feel this way when I have crammed my laptop in with a bottle of wine, but never about tampons. No need to be so melodramatic, o.b. people. Focus on the difference in waste and the cute little carrying package (see below) that protect your tampons (because I have pulled tampons out of my purse – in public no less – that had fallen out of their wrapper, and that I could do without).

If you’d like to try these nifty little things you can get samples in Canada and the US.

gen+loadedbow

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Happy Birthday, Loaded Bow!

Posted in Bended Bow with tags Anniversary, Loaded Bow on June 2, 2009 by genennis

Loaded Bow recently celebrated its first birthday. It is hard to believe that a year has gone by, but what a year it has been.

A wedding, a baby, paternity leave, travel, and meeting many new friends.

And, of course, we can’t forget our crash course in blogging, learning along the way from the best. We hammered out a name, had ourselves a photo shoot, stumbled upon a logo, and found ourselves a mentor. Most importantly, we met incredible women doing incredible things.

We have big plans up our sleeve for the next year, and are set to keep meeting these amazing ladies. Thanks for all the help we’ve received thus far!

With Love,

gen+zoe+loaded bow

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3 Lady-run, Lady-begun, Vancouver Companies

Posted in Business Stories with tags Change your name package for Canadian women, Clear the Floor., I'm a Mrs., Innovative Lady-run, Lady-begun businesses, Sugarbox, Vancouver female entrepreneurs, Vancouver small business, Wedding dances on May 18, 2009 by loadedbow

Women in Vancouver are finding ways to make their own money by taking all the right steps. Here are three Vancouver businesses I have found that have a special, specific niche. Being niche requires a great idea, a little innovation and a lot of referrals. Every client must be treated so well that they come to you and refer only you, so that you can beat out the competition that may take the majority of the pie. Who needs the whole pie when you’ve got the best slice??!! To make it as a female entrepreneur, you must set yourself apart from the rest. Here’s how these Vancouver ladies are doing just that!

Kiva: Moms and Microfinance

Posted in Bended Bow with tags Kiva, microfinance, mother's day, supporting entrepreneurs on May 13, 2009 by genennis

This Mother’s Day, Kev and I forfeited flowers to buy our moms gift certificates to Kiva. Kiva is the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website, allowing individuals to lend directly to entrepreneurs around the world.

Choose your entrepreneur and donate what your able to their loan. 100% of your donation goes directly to the individual. Over the next six months to one year, receive updates on the status of their business. Once they have repaid the loan you are able to reinvest the money with other Kiva entrepreneurs. Over 45,000 entrepreneurs have already paid off their loan.

Kiva allows you to circumvent organizations that often have costly overhead, and invest directly into communities. The next time you need to give, consider spending your money here!

gen+loadedbow

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Travel Essentials: A Travel Addict’s Tips

Posted in Loaded Bow: Following Our Story with tags Budget Travel, travel, Travel Planning on May 1, 2009 by genennis

Kevin and I recently returned home from 3 crazy weeks in Europe. We were there on business, but we also made sure to cram in as much play as possible. It was our 16th trip in 12 months. Here are my top tips for minimizing that gap between business and pleasure while on the road…

BEFORE YOU GO

1. Charge it

If you have a biz with high expenses, make sure your plastic comes with benefits. An unexpected perk of being married to a goldsmith, is that we have a ridiculously high Visa bill each month. Perk, you say?? Well, gold and diamonds don’t come cheap, and for every dollar that we spend on materials, we are also pocketing air miles. Our credit card has taken us to Montreal, Toronto, LA, New York, Argentina and Germany.

When it’s time to cash in those points, choose carefully. A flight from Vancouver to Toronto often costs the same as a flight to Europe, but only requires half the number of points. Therefore, I try to search out travel deals to places like Europe, and use my points for North American travel.

If you are traveling with your partner (business or personal!), alternate whose points you use, rather than each of you using your own points. For example, when we flew to Argentina, I used my points to fly us both. Because I was paying with points, I wasn’t eligible to collect more for flying, but Kevin was. When we flew to Europe, we used Kev’s points, so I could collect. This way we actually ended up pocketing thousands of points while we were using them!

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Amanda Beisel, of SKN Holistic Rejuvenation Clinic, on the business of natural beauty

Posted in Bended Bow with tags Alternative Beauty, Alternative Health, Amanda Beisel, Cosmetic Acupuncture, SKN Holistic Rejuvenation Clinic on April 27, 2009 by genennis

The Radiant Amanda Beisel

The Story of how SKN came to be…

Becoming an entrepreneur all happened very quickly as I am a leap-in-head-first kinda gal! I guess that’s how I conquer fear. As soon as I feel fear rear it’s ugly lil’head, making me second guess myself, I just dive right in. Taking a leap may not the best business advice for everyone, but fear can be very debilitating.

I didn’t write a business plan and I don’t regret it one bit. I did happen to find a really great business coach who helped me develop a business model which is very different from a business plan.

I became a licensed acupuncturist in February of 2008. At the time, I was a receptionist in a chiropractic clinic and working at a health food store. The owner of the clinic kindly offered his space to me on the weekends so I could start treating clients. Working in a health food store at this time taught me an invaluable amount about natural supplements and nutrition. Outside of work I continued to study and began providing all my clients with health plans and was getting amazing results.

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Interview and Contest with Cheeky Umbrella owner, Jen Zurowski

Posted in Bended Bow with tags Cheeky Umbrella, Contest, Jen Zurowski on April 24, 2009 by genennis

Jen Zurowski of Cheeky Umbrella shares her thoughts on making rainy days bright. Be sure to check out our contest at the bottom of the post!!

bestumbrella1

Loaded Bow: What does your company Cheeky Umbrella do?

Jen Zurowski: We brighten rainy days with our line of cute and colourful rain umbrellas for women!

LB: Where did the idea for Cheeky Umbrella come from?

JZ: The idea came out of my own needs and wants actually. When I first moved to Vancouver in 2001, I was living in Kitsilano and commuting downtown to work on transit, so I was looking for an umbrella with good quality and a cute design. Unfortunately I couldn’t find what I was looking for, and when I talked to my female friends and colleagues, I found that they had the same frustration in finding an umbrella. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, so this idea stuck with me until I was ready and able to make the jump to self-employment. I researched the idea over the many years that followed and launched Cheeky Umbrella in September 2008.

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