A Cultured stroll with Tieja MacLaughlin

I first met Tieja MacLaughin, a Toronto-based entrepreneur, in the summer of 2015 and have since then always admired her ability to sell herself as a brand. Founding TIEJA INC. in 2017 she has already bolstered an impressive list of clients ranging from Tic Tac and Kinder Canada to Carls Jr Canada and FERRERO ROCHER.

Earlier this year, I’ve had the chance of working with Tieja on a few projects and I’ve been fortunate to witness the metamorphosis of an amazingly talented women with an incredible expertise in communication and marketing. Initially contacting me for my photography services to promote a side-hustle she’s been working on, I had the chance to catch up with her at one of her favourite Toronto locales, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO).

Muses: Meeting up with Lynx & Chanty

Lynx and Chanty, the bad-girls behind Muses [“The podcast that celebrates the stories of Rock and Roll’s legendary Muses and Groupies!”], have both had the immense opportunity to meet and interview with some of the most influential Rockstar muses and musicians from its early inception in late 2016.

From Bobbie Brown and Jo Wood to Bif Naked and Sass Jordan, Muses have been keen on highlighting the voices and experiences of women behind – and in front of – some of the most prominent songs spanning across decades. While these anthems were made in part to inspire audiences, Lynx and Chanty make a point in promoting those who galvanized the artists who created them.

Life Lessons: Momma Terry

A dear friend of mine – a past roommate in fact – had received word in early March that her mother had a stroke, debilitating her; remaining on life support, with very weak brain functioning. Critical Condition.

Crying and panicked, she called me right away. I was one of the first people she thought of, she told me. Fighting back tears and muffled with grief, she was hesitant to ask, but I knew what she needed. I told her to speak no more and that I’d be over for an impromptu sleepover. Over the course of the evening, we listened to her mother’s favourite musicians and reminisced about a truly magnetic woman, who gave so much yet received so little.

The Power of the Pink Dollar

Not to be confused with the colour of Indonesia’s highest banknote, wherein lies the irony, the LGBT spending dollar has become an unquestionable force in the global economic environment.

In fact, the pink dollar has a combined buying power of almost 1 trillion dollars in the United States alone (recent estimates), making it a considerable economic focal point for not only businesses on the national level, but also in countries that greatly rely on – and depend on – tourist-generating currency.

4 Days in Montréal

Montréal, only second to Paris as being the largest French-speaking city internationally, has a reputation of superiority in dining, fashion, and hosting award winning events. Being the first North American city designated as a UNESCO City of Design by the Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity, it doesn’t take much to understand why Montréal is on the travelling lists of so many throughout the world.