Launched Sunday Sessions livestream radio show and later took over as Manager of Digital Products for the streaming service

My graduate research was a collaborative project where we put people in a functional MRI scanner and looked at how their brains reacted as we told them stories - in video format, photos, or just listening. I’ve always been a nerd when it comes to how our brains work, and why we react the way we do. Our research showed how story telling activates more of our brains than being told the hard facts. And so begins the next stage in my life.

After a period of self-reflection I ran away to the mountains in France, where I learned about digital marketing and tried my new skills with a variety of European and International companies - from real estate agencies, World-Class Ski Resorts, a small batch organic brewery, boutique tour operators, to a National Ski Team and regional electoral candidates. When I wasn’t working on my laptop taking in the mountain views, I was teaching skiing, or working as an avalanche rescue technician.

After returning to Canada, graduating at the top of my class (again), I took on the world of destination marketing. Working with sustainability-focused international tour operators, and small mom-and-pop service providers helped me see the power in collaboration. This helped me see the power and beauty in the path less travelled.

This year was HUGE. I was hired by a small business that was rapidly expanding. In order to help them survive as they scaled up, I took on marketing, sales, and operations. Before long my ‘I can do anything’ attitude faded as the overwhelm took over. I had the option to quit, or propose a different way to move forward. Long story short, after I became co-owner of the company we grew to 500+ employees and sold the company for more than we ever thought possible.

Alongside my best friend and business partner we decided we were going to focus on our passion project - bringing to life something we wish existed. Completely remotely we started a project that works with local highschools, colleges, and universities to teach students how to design, build, and race quad drones. To support this we started a racing league and an annual Grand Slam event that attracted teams from around the world.  

The worst year of my life. In a 12 month span I lost my father, grandfather, and my best friend. I learned some really hard business lessons, and had to keep the business going, even though I didn’t have access to any of our accounts. I couldn’t run away to the mountains again, I had to face reality. This is the moment I learned to spread my wings and fly.

Visibility Hacking Studios started out under a different name (another story for another day). We started by focusing on helping small business owners mediate customer and employee conflicts - bringing in what I had learned running previous companies, and combining it with formal training in mediation and psychology (remember, I’m a nerd when it comes to why humans act the way they do). Our clients were able to build better connections with their teams, customers, and with other businesses in their ecosystem. 

The world went into lockdown and rather than getting worried, I got down to business. Just like a Captain Planet episode, I united my passions for all things connection, livestreaming, psychology, and marketing. We hosted a variety of live events - from liveshows, to week-long virtual summits, to intensive on-boarding experiences - all with the goal to test out the limitations of virtual connection. We also helped a handful of small businesses in our local community get online and thrive despite growing restrictions.

In early 2021 we pivoted to focus exclusively on facilitating these live experiences. We took on our biggest clients yet which gave us the space to test out new ideas. Visibility Hacking Studios became a 7-figure company, grew our team, and impacted over 60 million people with our shows!

Anything is possible!

One connection at a time.  Remember, you're just one connection away...