I don't think you all are ready for this interview <insert eyes emoji X3>! Not only is this our second to last interview, (I knoooow!) BUT we get to hear about some truly EPIC community building and learn some major truths about a community that means so much to so many!
Today we get to hear from the AMAZING Aly Laube of Cushy Entertainment. Aly Laube is an event producer, journalist, and musician living on the unceded Coast Salish territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. She is a radio host on CitR and CIVL, the associate director of Cushy Entertainment, and the front woman of the local band Primp. In her spare time, she watches horror movies and panics about the ever-looming threat of climate change. As a queer mixed race woman with a glaring inability to keep her mouth shut, Aly is very often in the throes of either rage of passion.
In general, you can catch Aly doing too much all the time. She's reachable at alaubefreelancing@gmail.com Cushy Entertainment is a not-for-profit live arts and entertainment booking and promotional services in Vancouver, B.C. Operated by women focused on holding inclusive and accessible events.
If you know me, or have listened to even one episode of this podcast then you know that books are indeed my best friends. What happens though when you bring a group of book lovers together? What happens when you build a community by and for them? Magic. That's what happens.
To talk about this very magic and so much more, we have the incredible Leslie Hurtig of the Vancouver Writers Fest joining us! Leslie was born into a house of books and has made her career from various points within Canada’s book industry. She has worked for some of Canada’s best bookstores and acted as a sales representative, publicist and foreign rights manager for some of North America’s great publishers. Leslie sat on the Board of Directors for the Vancouver Writers Fest before taking on this role as Artistic Director; a role which she says is her dream job come true.
This was such a fun episode to record and I am so glad you all can also join in on the fun! It's also...our second to last interview ever!!!! We are almost to the finish line, but not just yet so I hope you enjoy this episode and it an add a bit of joy to your day too; as it does mine <3
Our first guest of this season and what a special one. Friends meet Laura Grady. Over the last five years, Laura has worked as the Program Manager for the Arts Council of so-called New Westminster. This role has placed her in the centre of the cultural vibe and growth of the city. Laura has played a lead role in organizing and facilitating a collection of small and large-scale art-based events that have attracted visitors across the Lower Mainland to so-called New Westminster. so-called New Westminster is a city bursting with creative talent, culture, and artistic drive. Laura feels honored to work with and connect artists, makers, and crafters to the community and play a part in supporting their artistic pursuits and passions within the city.
This is such a brilliant episode and I had the best time speaking with Laura about all the incredible the team has done and continues to do to build a community like no other. One where just one gathering can give you friends for life.
Hello Friends! Long time no talk hey? Well no more waiting, we are back and more excited than ever for an extra special season!
Extra special for SO many reasons, but mainly as it's our LAST SEASON and we have some beautiful guests joining us for the sendoff <3 This episode I'll be introducing you to what Season 3 of B2B is all about, the delay in release, and something that we cannot go further on without speaking about. This season is all about "Hey I Just Met You! And Now We're Best Friends.".
You know that one friend you have. Maybe you met them at a music festival and ever since they've been your go-to tp all things music related. And when it's festival season you are an unstoppable pair. And this is the bond we are exploring this season. The bond that has been created through the power of events. Think about it, without events how many of your community would you have never connected with?
Wow, this episode was just such a complete joy to do! Meet the incredible Natasha Thom of Clearwater Events. After more than 10 years in the events industry, Natasha started Clearwater Events in 2016. She started the business as a dreamer, wanting to bring people's love stories to life through their weddings. But drawn back to her roots working with non-profit organizations, she now blends both of her loves. Using her skillset to amplify organizations' impact, and elevating the EcoLuxe wedding movement. Because the blend of sustainability and luxury IS possible.
In the events world sustainability is something that often goes under the radar, but one aspect of it that we rarely touch upon is that it also applies to our communities as well. Not just the environmentally, but relationship wise. Events (or as I call them, gatherings) are key to sustaining community. Without gatherings ask yourself how else would you bond with your community? This past year has opened many eyes in many ways, and I hope this episode encourages you to do the same!
This is also the second to last episode of Season 2!! It's been such a beautiful ride, and we could not be more excited for what's to come!
It's already here. The season finale of Season 2! A short and sweet episode that also touches on something very important. Right now the AAACPI community is grieving. They are mourning. On March 16th 2021 a white terrorist murdered 8 people in Atlanta, Georgia. 6 of whom were Asian women. They were mothers, sisters, friends, grandmothers, and more. They were targeted for being Asian, for being women, for being sex workers. In Vancouver BC alone there has been a 717% increase in Anti-Asian crimes and racially motivated instances. Many AAACPI seniors have been targeted for these hate crimes and attacks. I've included more resources on the website which I highly encourage everyone to check out!
With this episode we wrap one season, and will go right into producing season 3! If you hear the episode you'll know what it's about ;) Until next time friends! Take care and stay safe!
Cheers!
Happy #internationalwomensday and Women's History Month everyone! This year's IWD theme is a special and encouraging one: #choosetochallenge. It is in this spirit this episode was created.
We didn't release an episode last week as we were prepping for this one. It's one that actually wasn't going to be released until towards the end of this podcast but given the day, month, and theme we knew it had to be done now.
This episode is meant to be a conversation starter. One I hope you will truly take to heart and will begin some meaningful conversations across the events industry.
The facts I mention in this episode can be found on our website. I encourage you to read through these and really do some introspection. May we continue to celebrate and create in ALL ways <3
Meet the newest, brightest, and most passion-filled stars of the décor and design industry! Kiran and her brother Harinder Dhinsa of Finesse Décor!
Born and raised in BC, Canada, both went to SFU Business and actually had no previous experience or background in events when they first started out. Finesse is a business that they run together. Harinder and his fiancé wanted a unique set-up for their pre-wedding shoot with Amrit Photography and decided to build their own set. Sundeep and Amrit (the photographers) were blown away by the set-up and asked if we could build sets for other couples. The business took off from there. They absolutely love design and have always been passionate about home décor. This business allows them to practice their passion for design.
Just wow! These two are absolutely out of this world! They have carved such a unique niche for themselves in the décor and design world. Several of their set-ups have also gone viral over the past couple of years; I can guarantee you've seen them at least 1-2 times in your explore page on Instagram across wedding social media. And not just for the stunning concepts, but the intimacy their designs bring to an event.
I have been waiting for the right moment to have them on this podcast and I am beyond stoked for the moment to have arrived! Design and décor are the most crucial and underrated aspects of any gathering. Decorators have one of the toughest jobs, in that they are not only transforming a physical space, but they are creating an entire new energy, vibe, atmosphere for it. Décor is a core element to elevate any gathering into an intimate one.
Don't believe me? Hear it from the pros themselves ;)
As always, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Continue to like, share and subscribe to the podcast! And don't forget those reviews! Love hearing everyone's feedback :D
We are half-way through the season! WOOOOOO! Some exciting stuff coming at ya in the latter half of this season ;) In episode 4 join me as I take you through shifting your mindset from thinking strictly surface level party, to elevating said party into an intimate gathering.
Through a series of examples I'm walking you through how as host it's not about "me, myself, and I". It's about "You, Me, Us". This is the core idea of this season. Shifting it from the idea of Me as host to you the guests, me as host, and Us. How the gathering is for all of us, not just you or me.
Let me know what you think, and if you end up implementing any strategies into your own events! I'd love to hear about it! And don't forget to leave a review on your favourite podcast platform. Love hearing from you all!
Why do we host an event? I mean why am I hosting this movie night over Zoom? Why are you hosting a wedding? Why do any of of us host any particular gathering?
This is a question we each need to ask ourselves. As hosts we have SO much to consider, but none is more important than your why! Your purpose! This purpose is what shapes your event for your community in the first place.
In this episode we explore "the why" in-depth and I give you some tips on how to get there, while explaining why this is the most important step of the planning process. Trust me, once you do this once you will do it twice, and then there's no going back.
Also...GIVEAWAY TIME!!! In celebration of our Season 2 launch, and Valentine's Day we've come up with a special package for you all! Check it out on IG and enter away!
When I first read, "The Art of Gathering" by the incredible Priya Parker, I thought I knew what it would be about. Reader, I did not. Wow, just wow! This book is a literal gift. As we continue to figure out hosting in the COVID Era, this book truly helps to add a whole dimension to things.
So when I started mapping out this season, I knew this book would play a huge role in doing so. As I mention several times throughout the episode, everyone needs this book. Whether you've hosted once in your life, or hosting gatherings is your job. Whether you've only ever planned a summer picnic or a week-long conference. Anyone and everyone who has hosted, and will be hosting needs it.
In this episode we go through the book, and I highlight some of my favourite parts. A lot of what I'm talking about is how I personally understood the topic(s) the author was talking about. If you have rea/will be reading the book you may pick up something different. And that's the beauty of a book like this!
Let me know your thoughts! Don't forget to leave a review and subscribe :D
P.S. If you're following us on Instagram stay tuned to find out how you might just win a copy of the book yourself ;)
Welcome back everyone! Starting 2021 off right with a brand new season of Back to Basics Podcast: Events + Community!
Things are going to be a biiiit different this season, and I could not be more excited to share with you all, what we've been working on this past month; and all that's to come!
So enjoy this introduction and get ready for a season full of heart and soul that I hope will help elevate your gatherings to a whole other level!
In the past few months you may have seen/heard about the Farmers' Protests in India. I spoke a bit about them last year, towards the end of episode 7 of season 1 of this podcast; but I couldn't start this season without providing an update on where things are, and how we can further our support.
A lot has happened since I last spoke about the protests. A lot has happened in general since our last episode, but I hope this special episode helps to further educate you in some small way. There are a lot of intersections, nuances, and overall layers to this protest. If you take even 5 minutes out of your day to research and educate yourself and/or others on what's going on, it can be an immense help.
The purpose of this episode is mainly to provide an update and to encourage you to educate (yourself and/or others) on what is happening, and to support in any capacity you can <3
Episode 8, a.k.a., our SEASON FINALE!!! Can you believe it. I honestly cannot. Season 1: The COVID Effect could not have wrapped with an episode filled with more heart and laughs like this one! Without the support of Crystal, Yaunna, and Sabrina (and many others behind the scenes) INFUSION YA Book Festival would not be possible!
They each have put in literal blood, sweat, and tears to create a space for the Young Adult Literature community unlike anything before. INFUSION is an event unlike any other in Vancouver. Together we've started to build a new community of our own. Well not exactly new, but we are bringing together folx who otherwise may not have been able to connect before.
And with this episode we cap off Season 1 of Back to Basics. This season has been all about introducing you all to a new way of looking at events and how we connect with our communities. It's been all about exploring how the always changing landscape of events has truly changed and been impacted in all it's different sectors. Plus some episodes where we go in-depth with some virtual event tips and tricks.
This season, and this episode especially, are a culmination of so many different lessons learned over this past year, but one of the most important being in how we connect with our community. I hope this podcast has provided not just some new insights into how we interact as humans, but also some joy as we head into a new year.
Speaking of which, I will be back in 2021 with a brand new season (and format)! Until then, I hope you all have a beautiful festive season, and a brilliant New Year! Talk to you all soon!
Take care, and stay safe!
Cheers,
Sukhmani
"It's the most wonderful time of the year..." Indeed it is. If there's one thing you should know about me? It's that I am a HUGE Christmas lover, like it's a BIG LOVE for the holiday! It's that time of the year where communities far and wide are able to come together and just be there with each other.
The season starts in mid-November and will go on until January 2nd of the new year. There are a million different events to attend. A million different people to gift, and a million Vanessa Hudgens' in the next Princess Switch movie. Basically there's a lot to do, and little time to do it.
Add in a pandemic and now on top of the usual holiday traffic, it's dealing with various new rules and trying to figure out new ways to celebrate that keep everyone in your community safe and sound. And that's where I, the podcast, and this blog come in!
We may not be able to celebrate together in-person but that doesn't mean we can't celebrate! Today we're going to talk about some exciting activities to make this virtual holiday season, one to remember!
NOTE: A lot of these can be done on no/low-budget :D
Wow...this episode is just <insert chef's kiss>. Harprit is just such an incredible and gem of a human. It's such a joy and honour to speak with her on COVID weddings, how the wedding industry came together, and SO much more! Trust me when I say this, 2021/2022 couples, and everyone else, this is one episode you do not want to miss! And I know the 40 minute timing can seem daunting but it's all pure gold!
We do also discuss a bit of a serious topic towards the end of the episode and also explain why this episode is coming out this week rather than last.
Harprit Patel has been in the Wedding Industry for almost 12 years. She started out working part time and eventually moved into doing events / weddings full time. Her past experience was working in Government in HR as well as many many years of working in the Hotel Industry. She was first inspired to even become an event planner at her brothers wedding where she realized that she didn't enjoy one bit of anything - she was working the whole time - and that's when the idea came to her - the industry needs someone to plan and execute events so that families can truly enjoy the special day.
Some things we are working on are how we are going to navigate the next couple years as COVID 19 has changed a lot in the industry. We also want to start something where we can create a club / class to assist high school girls and really create an atmosphere where we can uplift girls help them with their self esteem and truly put them on the right path for the future.
For more information on the Farmers' fight for their rights check out: Kissan Ekta and donate to Khalsa Aid International.
What a blast this episode was! So excited for you all to hear this one!
Christina Dang is the owner of Dang Good Booths, a premium photo booth services company. They have grown to be Vancouver’s favourite photo booth company with over 500 5 star reviews offering a number of different types of photo booths services for just about any occasion. They are a thriving small business that strives to capture life’s moments and provide photo souvenirs for guests to remember for a lifetime.
Christina really is a community builder and she does so through the power of events. What a joy it was speaking with her! I hope you all enjoy! Until next week! Take care and stay safe!
Join us for an incredible episode with an incredible human: Roohi Sahajpal, Co-Founder of Didihood. Roohi Sahajpal is a freelance writer and one of the co-founders of Didihood. Didihood (or the sisterhood) is a collective of South Asian women in creative industries across Canada spanning from the media to music, film, visual arts and more. Didihood's goal is to create networking and mentorship opportunities for South Asian creatives in cities like Toronto and Vancouver, lead workshops for university and college students to expand their skill set, and hear from inspirational South Asian women through panels and a monthly Q&A in our newsletter. Didihood also aims to create a sense of community among their members — ideally creating friendship and sisterhood.
This was such an incredible conversation on the move from in-person to online events and how to keep that community feeling alive and thriving! I hope you all enjoy! Don't forget to leave us a review on your platform of choice 🤩
So last weekend British Columbia's Provincial Health Authority put down new restrictions, but this time regionally directed, to combat the spread of COVID-19. I have also gotten a few requests on this topic and even though I was saving this for later in the season I thought there's no time like now to do this one!
Today we’re going to be talking about responsibility when it comes to event planning and towards our community, and also some fun ways to connect with our community safely during this time. My thoughts may seem all over the place, but trust me, they all make sense by the time we come to the end of the episode :P
Don't forget to leave a review! I hope you all enjoy and are able to take something away and plan your own virtual fun for you and your communities! Plus you may even get a sneak peek on a special bonus episode coming out later November ;)
Cheers!
In this episode we're speaking with the incredible Dina of Dina Calligraphy. Dina Lu is a left-handed calligrapher, workshop instructor and business coach based in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Dina founded her calligraphy business as Jennidi Creative after her mom was hospitalized in 2018 for depression and psychosis. The name “Jennidi Creative” is a combination of Dina’s mom’s name (Jenny) and Dina’s own name. Together, they started selling greeting cards—her mom painted the cards and Dina did the calligraphy on them. Dina loved running a creative business so much that she quit her 9-5 job last year to teach calligraphy workshops and sell calligraphy full-time. A few months ago, Dina rebranded her calligraphy business to Dina Calligraphy.
Currently, she teaching calligraphy workshops virtually for corporate teams in Canada, and she coaches calligraphers around the world on how to start a calligraphy business. She graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2017 with a Bachelor of Commerce and regularly volunteers her time to mentoring young entrepreneurs through the Canadian charity League of Innovators, and high school girls through the YWCA.
She does some incredible calligraphy events work within the greater Lower Mainland community; and it has been so amazing to hear and learn all about it! We learn so much in this episode including the fact that sometimes communities are built and together only for a short period of time, but in that time they are a community.
Enjoy, and leave a review to let us know what you think! Until next time!
Cheers,
Back to Basics Podcast: Events + Community
