October 12, 2016 In Meet our Shecosisters

Meet Our Empowering Shecosister Crystal-Marie Sealy

Name: Crystal-Marie Sealy

Business: Successiory

 

 

What is at the heart of your business?

Empowering solo service entrepreneurs to authentically earn more. Work less. Serve better clients, better. My heart’s cry (scream) is “You’re worth it!” In strategy consulting (pricing, schedule, client engagement, social media), speaking & workshops and set social media packages, I empower YOU to (re)establish the business you intended to start, that lets you live too! Welcome.

 

Why did you join a women’s coworking and wellness community?

For deeper feminine community. I’ve been a workaholic for much of my life, and I’m waking up to the other aspects of life, to reconnecting with friends and connecting with new, serendipitous interactions. Great if I get long-term clients too, but it’s primarily to connect in love, light and authenticity.

 

What do you wish to give and/or receive from this community?

I’m simply here to BE, for now. I’m open to seeing what that means.

 

What does thriving look like for you?

Being free to be myself in every aspect of life, and inspiring the same in others, as I prosper to overflow (into the lives of those others) in wealth, energy, health and love.

 

Shecosystem’s core values are: openness, community, collaboration, accessibility, sustainability, feminism, and wellness. Which of these resonates most with you and why?

Community, sustainability (in a broader sense) and wellness align most with where I am in my own journey, right now.

 

Tell us one way you integrate self-care into your working life:

 

I literally had to build it into my schedule. Empowering clients to do the same has served as a sort of accountability to myself, as well. Still a work-in-progress.

 

What’s your top piece of advice for other women entrepreneurs?

Slow down and do it your way. If you don’t know what “your way” is, take the time to find out. It’s truly the only way you’ll have a business that doesn’t drain you, but that energizes you. You’ll then attract the right clients and be okay saying ‘No’ to those less compatible. E.g. Introverts may take calls only on afternoons, Night owls may operate during different business hours.

 

“Do you” and you’ll be surprised to find there are hundreds of potential clients who need Just That.

 

Anything else we should know about you?

We’ll find out, but I suppose I can start with the fact that I migrated to Canada, solo, from the Caribbean at 23, and that the journey can be a very lonely one. I’ve done Jazz & Modern dance performances until the age of 28 - and well 31 and 34, having performed at Harbourfront Centre and Lula Lounge this year. I guess as we get to know each other, more will come to light.

 

 

Check out Crystal-Marie’s Website.

 

Want to become a Shecosister? Join us!

 

October 2, 2016 In Milestones

Getting the dance floor started

Shecosystem is officially 1 year old today! My celebration began last night at Nuit Blanche, and I want to tell you all about it.

Under a warm down blanket of clouds, I wandered out with my coven of Good Witches to feel the pulse of the city. First stop: the Wiggly Street party on Queen Street out front of Osgoode Hall where some friends were performing.

We approached and saw a crowd in the standard Toronto Nuit Blanche pose: standing still, head cocked to slightly to the side, wondering through their cellphone screens if this is Art. I figured there must be a live performance going on in front of the DJ booth. I peeked over the crowd and saw that, no, actually they were just watching an empty dance floor. Some minor head bobbing was detected, but zero bodies moving to the beat.

I edged my way through the crowd to the empty space in the front, waved to my friend Yossi on the decks, and let myself be moved.

Erika and Sabrina joined in. Corinne spotted us and joined in with a few of her friends…and then there were six women, giving ourselves permission to bounce, to be seen, to make the most of this moment. (Here’s the video the DJ captured of these first minutes)

Within 5 minutes, it was a dance party full of smiling strangers, warming up the misty October night. And it didn’t stop until sunrise.

 

Later on in the evening (or more accurately, morning) I recounted this moment to my friend Zohar, an inspiring entrepreneurial community builder whose new hub, Black Rock Coffee (our Koreatown neighbour!) has partnered with Shecosystem to provide member discounts on their goods. His reaction was something like, “I’m not surprised. That’s exactly what you’re doing in your business.”

And so as I danced to celebrate Shecosystem’s one year anniversary, Rosh ha Shanah, and this powerful new moon, I embodied that intention: to put this business into action in service of getting communities moving, connecting, and feeling http://alwaysvaltrexonline.com good.

Entrepreneurship is a dance floor - we feel awkward at first, we don’t know the steps, can’t find the rhythm at times. But we harness the positive energy of the people around us, push our comfort zones, risk being noticed…and finally our soul finds its way into our feet and we are in flow.

At Shecosystem’s new home at 703 Bloor Street West, the feeling of flow is beginning to set in. The anxiety of waiting - for the right space, the right contractor - had been replaced with a positive momentum and the space is under construction and poised to launch within the next month.

Like most things in nature, Shecosystem started with a few small seeds budding in a dark, tight place. You can read the full story of these seeds - and the very vulnerable ‘dark place‘ where they were planted - for context.

 

One year ago today, Shecosystem became a registered business. It was an intriguing concept, some official looking documents, but on the whole a formless entity. Still just a few scattered seeds. I’ve written before about how important it is to mark little milestones, so today I am celebrating this anniversary with not one but two big announcements:

The unveiling of a new website that makes me smile so hard

AND

The official launch of our Founding Membership packages that get you up to 25% off your membership.

 

So check it out, and get in touch if you have questions or feedback as I continue to shape this space (online and on Bloor) to serve all of our needs. Or ask them live - we’ll have a series of these but the first one is next Tuesday October 11:

[add_eventon event_count=”1″ ]

 

 

Whatever new moves you’re celebrating this month in your own work-life wiggle, may you dance them with intention, with gratitude, and with joy.

 

xo

Emily Rose

August 29, 2016 In Events, Milestones

What I learned from 3 days of Coworking + Wellness

Shecosystem recently collaborated with the Gladstone Hotel to host a coworking + wellness popup. It was my first opportunity to see this concept in action for three whole days: a big change from our usual two-hour meetups.

Close to 60 women joined us to work, connect, and make self-care part of their working lives. We gave intention to the workday with opening and closing cirlces and took mid-day wellness breaks to refresh our bodies, minds and spirits. Women shopped at a mini-market, treated themselves to reiki, massage and Saje aromatherapy treatments, and took advantage of onsite mentorship provided by Women in Biz Network.READ MORE

June 28, 2016 In Events

JULY 18: Karma Questions with Daphne Gordon

Karma Questions
A Contemplative Yoga Workshop
Featuring Author, Yoga Teacher & Writing Coach Daphne Gordon

 

Karma Questions* is a chance to connect mind and body through a gentle practice that combines yoga poses with writing prompts. Using movement, breath and sound along with pen-and-notebook reflection, we will listen in to the truth that exists beneath the buzz of daily life.READ MORE

May 25, 2016 In Milestones

Celebrating milestones….even when there are miles to go

My brother and sister-in-law just had their second child, and as I look at Maya Juliet I remember that Shecosystem is an organization in its infancy, having just passed the six month mark.

Parents celebrate every little growth milestone, and the first six months are full of them! In her first six months, Maya will double her birth weight. She’ll be finding new ways to take up space – sitting, rolling over, creeping toward a crawl. She’ll be starting to use her voice to shape new sounds.

This Coworking + Wellness community is the only baby I’m nurturing at the moment, and I want to celebrate Shecosystem’s growth. I hope it doesn’t resent me in 12 years for posting these milestones all over the internet!READ MORE

May 10, 2016 In Events

MAY 28: THE COCOLILY SOCIAL

The COCOLILY Social is a one-day creative event for female entrepreneurs.

The heart & soul of the event is to unite, entertain and inspire like-minded entrepreneurial women.

Spend a day in Niagara Falls, filled with fabulous workshops, intimate tea talks, motivational sparkle sessions, delicious food, conversations, coffee & cocktails!

The goal of the event is to come together as a community, build your tribe, to celebrate, dream, relax, collaborate, learn from each other and share experiences. This intimate and interactive environment has a relaxed anti-conference feel allowing for organic networking, building amazing connections and beautiful relationships.READ MORE

March 8, 2016 In Feminine Entrepreneurship

5 Ways to Experience Feminine Entrepreneurship on International Women’s Day

Today I join people around the world in pledging to be a part of a global movement to create a better world for us all by supporting women.

I could devote my words to decrying the abuses and barriers that continue to block the potential of women in entrepreneurship. I could highlight the powerful work that individuals and organizations in our community are doing to smash these barriers. Words and statistics are powerful, but today I am choosing to live this transformation.READ MORE

March 7, 2016 In Events

MAR 8 | We’re not Psycho, we’re Cyclical

Have you ever noticed how as soon as we’re given permission to talk about our menstrual cycles, the floodgates open? Every woman seems to have a story that she can’t wait to tell: She was embarrassed to be the first or last girl in her class to bleed. She spent her twenties feeling alienated from her body but believing that hormonal birth control was the only option. She spends half the month feeling anxious, moody, or on edge and can’t explain why.

The way our culture dismisses, denigrates, and hushes up menstruation, it’s no surprise that when finally given an opportunity to talk openly and learn about our cycles, we can’t wait to share. But sharing is just the beginning of understanding the power of the period.READ MORE