My guest today is Ginni Saraswati-Cook. A successful entrepreneur in the podcasting space. However, this story isn’t just about podcasting or entrepreneurship. It’s about airports, Knicks games and cats. My favourite parts of this episode are the stories Ginni tells about how the most meaningful moments often happen when you’re least expecting them.

Ginni is the founder of Ginni Media, a global podcast production company that works with everyone from ambitious entrepreneurs to household-name brands. But Ginni doesn’t just produce podcasts—she produces perspective. Her work helps people and companies tune into their frequency and amplify stories that might otherwise go unheard.

She’s also the voice behind The Ginni Show, now in its seventh season. A show that, like its host, keeps evolving. This season, she describes it as her personal masterclass, an exploration of the ideas, questions, and curiosities that have been occupying her mind.

This conversation left me inspired to pay closer attention to those in-between moments and to stay curious about where they might lead.

Join us every other week for leadership stories from female founders, trailblazers in women leadership and entrepreneurs sharing their success stories.

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Ginni Media Website

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The Ginni Show Podcast - Apple - Spotify

Metro Podcast Studio

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Join us for an inspiring conversation with Dana Shortt, the visionary entrepreneur who built a beloved business from the ground up, transforming it into a true community staple.

Dana shares the remarkable story of her journey, from her humble beginnings in catering to the emotional and strategic process of successfully exiting her business. This episode is packed with valuable lessons for anyone navigating the world of entrepreneurship, ownership transition, and planning an exit strategy.

Join us every other week for leadership stories from female founders, trailblazers in women leadership and entrepreneurs sharing their success stories.

Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

• The Genesis of a Business: Discover how Dana started her catering business with just IKEA bags and the subway, eventually evolving it into a thriving retail store. Learn about the crucial role of mentorship from family and professionals in shaping her path.
• Building a Brand with Purpose: Dana emphasizes the importance of quality food and a clear pricing strategy in attracting and retaining loyal customers. She'll share how she overcame early skepticism about her age and stuck to her convictions to build a business known for excellence.
• The Full-Time Job of Selling a Business: Dana pulls back the curtain on the often-overlooked realities of selling a business. She shares how the business sale process felt like "another full-time job" and the critical need to maintain business operations as if you weren't selling.
• Navigating the Emotional Journey: Selling a business you've poured your heart into – what Dana affectionately calls her "third baby" – is an incredibly emotional experience. Hear how she navigated these feelings and ensured a positive transition for everyone involved, preserving the legacy she built.
• Key Advice for Entrepreneurs: Dana offers invaluable insights for anyone considering their own exit strategy. From understanding your business's true value to the power of "If you don't ask, you don't get," her advice is practical and empowering.

Beyond the Business: Explore Dana's exciting new creative pursuits and future aspirations. She shares how her journey has highlighted the importance of family time and the freedom to explore new passions, reminding us all to "test our passions before committing to them."

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Join us for leadership stories from female founders, trailblazers in women leadership and entrepreneurs sharing their success stories.

What does it take to build a beverage company from scratch? Not just any beverage company—but one that is unapologetically female-founded, obsessively focused on ingredients, and determined to carve out space in an industry long dominated by men in boardrooms and barrooms alike?

Melissa is already a leader and teacher in the drinks space. But like so many entrepreneurs, she saw a gap—between what was on the shelf and what she wanted to drink. Clean, flavourful, high-quality hard seltzers and spritzes without the synthetic aftertaste, the hidden chemicals, or spoonfuls of sugar.

So, she created DAME—a Canadian-born beverage brand that’s as much about taste as it is about purpose. She calls it her baby business. But that baby? It’s growing up fast. Today, you can find DAME in the LCBO, sitting on shelves beside legacy brands, standing tall in its bright, elegant cans.

But this isn’t just a story about what’s in the can.

It’s about leadership, and what it takes to found something from nothing. It’s about setbacks, long nights, and moments of doubt. And it’s about mentorship—because while Melissa is crafting crisp Italian spritz cocktails, she’s also helping to build bursaries and educational programs for women looking to break into the beverage industry.

This is a conversation about grit. About vision. And about why, sometimes, the best way to shake up an industry… is to simply pour something better.

Melissa Pulvermacher is the Portfolio Director at Cru Wine Merchants and the Founder of DAME Beverage.

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DAME Website

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Melissa’s LinkedIn

Cru Wine

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Join us for leadership stories from female founders, trailblazers in women leadership and entrepreneurs sharing their success stories.

Leadership isn’t just about titles—it’s about making a lasting impact.

In this episode, I’m joined by Anna Radulovski, founder of WomenTech Network, a global community of over 150,000 members across 179 countries. Anna is also the powerhouse behind the Women in Tech Global Conference, a mentor at the Founder Institute, and the author of Chief in Tech.

This isn’t just a conversation about getting a seat at the table. It’s about building your own and inviting others in.

Together, we talk about what real leadership looks like, the joy of mentorship, the bias that still hides in plain sight, and why amplifying the voices of women in tech is urgent, vital work. Anna shares why she wrote Chief in Tech, what she’s learned from interviewing over 50 C-level leaders, and how data and lived experience together can drive real change.



If you’ve ever wondered how to move from entry-level to executive, or how to lead with generosity and vision, this one’s for you.

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Anna’s Book: Chief in Tech

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Join us for leadership stories from female founders, trailblazers in women leadership and entrepreneurs sharing their success stories.

Leadership isn’t just about titles—it’s about making a lasting impact.



Shop Hot or Just Me? and get 10% off using the code LEADERSHIP

What kind of person builds a whiskey brand from scratch, launches it on Kickstarter, gets it on shelves everywhere… and then pivots to menopause wellness?

Meet Carin Luna-Ostaseski.

She’s not chasing ideas—ideas seem to chase her. In this episode, we explore the mindset of a serial entrepreneur: someone who starts, scales, sells, and starts again. Not because they have to—but because they can’t not.

Carin is the founder of Hot or Just Me?, a comprehensive online shop and trusted resource helping women navigate perimenopause and menopause with confidence. Her journey through symptoms like hot flashes, anxiety, brain fog, and night sweats inspired her to build something that makes sure no one feels alone during this transition.

But before that? Carin made history as the first American woman and Hispanic person to create a Scotch whisky—SIA Scotch Whisky—a brand launched through a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign. That venture led to the Entrepreneurial Spirit Fund, which has awarded over $350,000 in grants to underserved entrepreneurs.

Throughout our conversation, we trace her unexpected journey—from spirits to sleep aids—and uncover the mindset, stories, and clarity behind each new chapter.

We also take a deeper look at some of the most common symptoms women face during perimenopause—and start with the one Carin calls the “first domino”: sleep.

Whether you’re building a business, navigating menopause, or just trying to figure out what’s next, this conversation will leave you inspired and informed.

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Links and Resources

Hot or Just Me? Website

Sia Scotch Whisky

The Menopause Society

American Girl Books

How to Menopause by Tamsen Fadal

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What makes a good impression?

Can the right packaging—a perfectly folded, beautifully designed box—turn a simple donut into something special? Can the feel of a burger wrapper, or the weight of a coffee cup in your hand, shape not just the way we experience food, but the way we remember it?

It turns out, the answer is yes.

In this episode of Voices of Leadership, I sit down with Jennifer Appleby Vines, CEO of Georgette Packaging, to explore the fascinating intersection of branding, design, and human connection. Jennifer didn’t set out to run a packaging company, but leadership isn’t always a straight path. Jennifer started in the hospitality industry and built a successful career with the Charcoal group. She then co-founded Crumby Cookie Dough, a business that launched just as the world shut down in 2020. At the same time, she was working part-time at Georgette Packaging, a role that, at first, was just another piece of the puzzle. Until it wasn’t.

When the opportunity arose to buy the company as an employee, Jennifer took the leap. She navigated the unique transition from team member to CEO, and today, she continues to grow Georgette, helping businesses wrap their products and their stories in packaging that matters. As Jennifer has learned, great branding isn’t just about a logo or a box it’s about connection, trust, and the emotional impact of a well-crafted experience.

We also talk about turning 50. It’s not just another birthday. It’s a threshold. A shift. A moment when you start to see the world, and yourself, a little differently.

For Jennifer, it came with a revelation: what other people think really doesn’t matter. And this milestone wasn’t about age, it was about freedom.

And what is she doing with this newfound freedom?

Well, for starters…she’s dancing.

Links and Resources

Georgette Packaging Website

Georgette Instagram

Jennifer’s Instagram

LinkedIn

Amplify Your Voice 2025 Ticket Link

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These are the stories of trailblazers in women leadership and of women who are redefining success and thriving on the edge of change.

Leadership isn’t just about titles—it’s about making a lasting impact.

Have you ever punched someone in the face? Not out of anger. Not in self-defence. But because, for one night, you chose to step into the ring?

Most people would never willingly put themselves in that position. But Beth isn’t most people.

As a leader in the mining industry, Founder and CEO of Femina Collective, and co-host of The ReBuild Podcast, Beth has spent her career making space for women in industries that weren’t built for them. She’s created networks, fostered mentorship, and pushed for change where change is slow to come.

So what does boxing have to do with leadership? Everything.

Stepping into the ring is about more than just boxing—it’s about resilience, strategy, and knowing how to take a hit. It’s about learning when to pivot, when to stand your ground, and how to keep moving forward even when every instinct tells you to back down. It’s not so different from stepping into a boardroom or an industry that wasn’t made for you. The stakes are different, the bruises may not always be visible, but the lessons? They’re the same.

In just a couple of weeks, Beth will be on the Fight Card for Mandy Bujold’s Brawl at Tapestry Hall. A real, 12-week journey culminating in a live fight to support McMaster Children’s Hospital. The goal? Raise $500,000 for children in need of critical care. Let’s rally behind Beth and this incredible cause. You can support her fight and McMaster Hospital by donating here.

Donate to support Beth and McMaster Children’s Hospital

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Femina Collective

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These are the stories of trailblazers in women's leadership and of women who are redefining success and thriving on the edge of change.

Leadership isn’t just about titles—it’s about making a lasting impact.