In the latest episode of Eloquent Entrepreneur, host Linda Mackie sits down with Jill Lawrence—website designer, mindfulness and meditation teacher, and co-founder of the Cowichan Women’s Business Network (CWBN). They dig into how entrepreneurship can be a vehicle for personal growth, why boundaries matter, and how daily mindfulness supports clearer decisions. Jill shares the story behind CWBN’s fast start, the role of co-regulation and intuition in client work, and her path from nervous networker to confident speaker (including a 400-person DisruptHR talk). You’ll also hear simple, practical advice on balancing creativity with strategy and taking tiny steps that actually move ideas forward.
TAKEAWAYS
-Entrepreneurship can double as inner work—clarity grows when you set and keep boundaries.
-Daily mindfulness, even a short morning sit, steadies the day and sharpens choices.
-Co-regulation with clients helps unlock better ideas and calmer collaboration.
-Creativity and strategy aren’t opposites—thoughtful web design can be both art and structure.
-CWBN shows what happens when women gather to learn, collaborate, and give back.
-Inclusive community building takes intention—diversity and belonging must be designed in.
-Public speaking confidence is built by practice—start small, then stretch.
-Progress loves micro-commitments: pick one small action by a specific date and do it.
VISIT OUR WEBSITE
https://www.eloquententrepreneur.com/
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eloquententrepreneur
CREDITS
Guest: Jill Lawrence
Website: https://www.jillianlawrence.com/
CWBN: https://www.cwbn.ca/
Host: Linda Mackie
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindamackiecreative/
PRODUCTION
Keenlii
Website: https://www.keenlii.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keenliico/
Producer: Barry Keegan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrykeegan/
SUBSCRIBE AND SUPPORT
If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe and leave a review on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube. Your feedback helps bring more thoughtful conversations into the world.
ABOUT THE ELOQUENT ENTREPRENEUR
The Eloquent Entrepreneur is a podcast where I chat with my clients and changemakers alike—from across Canada and beyond—about the work they do, the stories that have shaped them, and the impact they’re making. All to inspire and motivate others to do the same.
Because making a difference just starts with showing up, and these conversations remind us just how empowering that can be.
Whether you're a founder, creative, coach, or community builder, you'll hear honest, personal stories from everyday people who are making a lasting impact—on their own terms.
In the latest episode of Eloquent Entrepreneur, host Linda Mackie interviews Diane Lloyd, a leadership coach focused on empowering women, particularly those in midlife. They discuss the importance of authentic leadership, the challenges women face during midlife transitions, and the power of vulnerability in personal and professional growth. Diane shares her journey into coaching and the significance of continuous learning as an entrepreneur. The conversation emphasizes the need for women to embrace their strengths and support one another in leadership roles.TAKEAWAYS
-Diane Lloyd emphasizes the need for authentic, human-centered leadership.
-Women over 40 possess immense potential and should be supported in leadership roles.
-Midlife transitions can lead to a loss of confidence, which needs to be addressed.
-Vulnerability is a strength that fosters connection and courage.
-Continuous learning is essential for success as an entrepreneur.
-Diane's journey into coaching was inspired by her own experiences and challenges.
-The importance of self-care and health in maintaining mental clarity is crucial.
-Diane aims to build a community of women supporting each other in leadership.
CREDITS
Guest: Diane Lloyd
Website: https://www.inspiredresultsgroup.com/
Host: Linda Mackie
Production: Keenlii – keenlii.com
Producer: Barry Keegan – linkedin.com/in/barrykeegan
SUBSCRIBE & SUPPORT
If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe and leave a review on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube. Your feedback helps bring more thoughtful conversations into the world.
ABOUT THE SHOW
The Eloquent Entrepreneur is a podcast where I chat with my clients and changemakers alike—from across Canada and beyond—about the work they do, the stories that have shaped them, and the impact they’re making. Because making a difference just starts with showing up—and these conversations remind us just how empowering that can be.
In this episode of The Eloquent Entrepreneur podcast, I sit down with Shelley Essery—founder of The Empowered Estate and author of The Executor’s Survival Guide. We talk about why executor planning is more than just paperwork, how she helps families preserve love and legacy, and the community she’s building to make these conversations easier.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Why proactive planning matters for every family
- How her binder and workshops help executors and loved ones
- Real stories of transformation from her clients
- How to start the conversation—even if your family is resistant
VISIT
Website: eloquententrepreneur.com
Instagram: instagram.com/eloquententrepreneur
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lindamackiecreative
CREDITS
Guest: Shelley Essery
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_empowered_estate/
Website: https://theempoweredestate.ca
Host: Linda Mackie
Production: Keenlii – keenlii.com
Producer: Barry Keegan – linkedin.com/in/barrykeegan
SUBSCRIBE & SUPPORT
If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe and leave a review on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube. Your feedback helps bring more thoughtful conversations into the world.
ABOUT THE SHOW
The Eloquent Entrepreneur is a podcast where I chat with my clients and changemakers alike—from across Canada and beyond—about the work they do, the stories that have shaped them, and the impact they’re making. Because making a difference just starts with showing up—and these conversations remind us just how empowering that can be.
In this episode of The Eloquent Entrepreneur, I sit down with Julie Marrast, author and TEDx speaker, to explore the real story behind her work, purpose, and the impact she’s making.
We talk about emotional healing, parenting with intention, the courage to feel, and how Julie built her path forward, guided by self-awareness, creativity, and deep personal growth. This episode is filled with honest stories, practical tools, and a quiet kind of hope.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, navigating family dynamics, or searching for a deeper connection with yourself, this one’s for you.
Listen now and learn more about Julie’s work: parentingthroughfeeling.com
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Emotional release is a natural, powerful way to process stress and trauma
Parenting with connection starts by feeling your own emotions first
You don’t need a perfect “village”—you can build support from the ground up
Self-doubt is part of the process, especially for creatives and caregivers
Healing family patterns often starts with one person deciding to do things differently
The courage to feel is what unlocks clarity, creativity, and connection
VISIT
Website: eloquententrepreneur.com
Instagram: instagram.com/eloquententrepreneur
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lindamackiecreative
CREDITS
Guest: Julie Marrast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parentingthroughfeeling/
Website: https://www.parentingthroughfeeling.com/
Host: Linda Mackie
Production: Keenlii – keenlii.com
Producer: Barry Keegan – linkedin.com/in/barrykeegan
SUBSCRIBE & SUPPORT
If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe and leave a review on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube. Your feedback helps bring more thoughtful conversations into the world.
ABOUT THE SHOW
The Eloquent Entrepreneur is a podcast where I chat with my clients and changemakers alike—from across Canada and beyond—about the work they do, the stories that have shaped them, and the impact they’re making. Because making a difference just starts with showing up—and these conversations remind us just how empowering that can be.
In this episode of The Eloquent Entrepreneur, I sit down with Peter Eastwood, a creative visionary, photographer, and lifelong mentor, to explore the real story behind his work, purpose, and the impact he’s making.
We talk about finding unexpected family, rebuilding in the wake of crisis, the long game of giving back, and how Peter built his path forward—guided by instinct, care, and deep personal connection. This episode is filled with meaningful moments, gentle wisdom, and the kind of clarity that comes from a life fully lived.
If you’re building something of your own, working with others in a meaningful way, or just needing a little reminder of what’s possible when people show up with purpose—this one’s for you.
Listen now and learn more about the Sri Lankan eco lodge project: petereastwood.ca
QUOTE HIGHLIGHT
"We met Wagisha in 2009, and I’ve grown to love him like a son," said Peter. "Now, Philip and I are surrogate grandparents to his children."
TAKEAWAYS
- Purpose isn’t something you plan—it’s something you live.
- One small connection can shape your future.
- Showing up with care is more powerful than you think.
- Education is crucial for empowering future generations.
- Community projects can have lasting impact.
- Personal challenges can inspire greater empathy.
- Staying connected to the world is essential for growth.
- Every small contribution can lead to significant change.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Empowering Everyday Change Makers
02:25 The Sri Lankan Project: A Journey of Connection
12:10 Resilience and Rebuilding After the Tsunami
19:53 A Life of Diverse Experiences and Lessons Learned
30:15 The Uganda Project: Building Community and Hope
32:33 The Impact of Special Needs Initiatives in Uganda
35:05 Transformative Experiences Through Photography
38:24 Long-Term Community Development and Education
42:49 Overcoming Challenges and Staying Inspired
50:10 The Importance of Education for Future Generations
54:04 A Glimpse into Sri Lanka's Natural Beauty
PETER'S GOFUNDME
gofundme.com/f/us-rebuild-a-lodge-for-a-sustainable-future-in-sri-lanka
VISIT
Website: eloquententrepreneur.com
Instagram: instagram.com/eloquententrepreneur
CREDITS
Host: Linda Mackie
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lindamackiecreative
Production: Keenlii – keenlii.com
Producer: Barry Keegan – linkedin.com/in/barrykeegan
SUBSCRIBE & SUPPORT
If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe and leave a review on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube. Your feedback helps bring more thoughtful conversations into the world.
ABOUT THE SHOW
The Eloquent Entrepreneur is a podcast where I chat with my clients and changemakers alike—from across Canada and beyond—about the work they do, the stories that have shaped them, and the impact they’re making. Because making a difference just starts with showing up—and these conversations remind us just how empowering that can be.
Special Guest Shannon MacFarlane is most certainly my kindred spirit with a shared passion for animals and creating space for people to feel safe and loved. A compassionate human, mother, grief enthusiast, artist, and photographer, Shannon specializes in grief photography and painting where she documents the stories of families experiencing long-term medical treatment, hospice, end-of-life care, and death care - for both humans and non-human family members alike. Shannon shares her own personal journey of loss and getting to her happy place of witnessing and documenting these not-so-happy histories in people's lives that perhaps others daren't go. Her impact is deep and far-reaching in the healing process and it was such a pleasure to chat with her.
Visit Shannon at Slobbered Lens
As a Fractional Chief Growth Officer, diverse entrepreneur, and man of many talents, Trevor Turnbull serves awe.some business leaders (and their teams) to drive scalable growth and believes his purpose is to support conscious, creative seekers to share their stories with the intent on inspiring others to share theirs! His 15+ years of experience in digital marketing has set him up with over 10,000 hours of knowledge to help amplify the voices of people who want to be part of the much-needed positive change in the world. He's empowered over 26,000 people with his online client acquisition training, coaching and mentoring and has shared his personal story in various publications including Forbes, Entrepreneur, Time, Money and Business Insider.
In our conversation, Trevor shares his inspiring story and wisdom of what it means to get comfortable with the uncomfortable, to embrace and even love the ups and downs of growth, and to make the conscious choice to see the greatest version of himself and everyone so that we can best tap into the unlimited possibilities that are truly in alignment with our why for our greatest impact.
Visit Trevor at Trevor Turnbull
Having written web copy for the Canadian Space Agency, speeches for Cabinet Ministers, and countless business owners, families, and individuals, Shannon has a great talent and passion for telling human stories with impact. Shannon shares her story of how this work became her mission to help people express themselves through the written word - from personal biographies to websites to special occasion speech writing. By marrying her love of writing with that of client service, she provides her clients with meaningful messages to amplify their voice for milestone moments - wedding vows, toasts, retirement celebrations or a loving goodbye for a celebration of life. Shannon's innate wisdom and empathy in her creative process and the writing itself often help bring a sense of inner peace, letting go from a loss or painful experience, accomplishment, joy, and virtually everything in between for her clients. A great quote for the ages and what sums up her mission - 'Sometimes we have to find our voice first before we realize we have something to say...that's how we change the world.'
Visit Shannon at Centrepiece Writing Studio
Dr. Kim Foster is an MD turned business coach helping health and wellness professionals build successful coaching businesses and then, in turn, go out into the world and spread the 'Wellness Revolution" for the greatest impact.
Kim is a shining example of what an everyday changemaker is all about, turning her passion and talent into a successful business that makes an impact on her clients and the world. In our conversation, we learn about how she made the transition from a practicing doctor to a successful business coach and what it took for her to bring her vision to life in a methodical and systematic way.
Her simple yet powerful advice to 'just start' is the reason her vision has come to fruition and inspires her every day to keep growing a business that is not only rewarding and meaningful and creates freedom and abundance for her and her family, but that actually makes a tangible difference.
Visit Kim at Dr. Kim Foster
Carmel Ecker is a single parent on a mission to empower other single parents to live a life without limits. On the show, we talk about her journey from writer, reporter, graphic designer and the path that lead her to her new passion as a coach and someone who lives by example. You'll be inspired as you learn about both challenges and triumphs Carmel has experienced as a single parent, navigating the world of being both a mom and an entrepreneur that has brought her to a place of fulfillment and joy in the everyday. Carmel is a true testament to having it all if you so choose and is an incredible teacher in helping you get there!
Visit Carmel at Speak Now Coaching
Colleen Wynia is a “Reset Your Vibe” Vision Coach, Spiritual Intuitive and Holistic Health Educator guiding women and heart-centered men in business through navigating life after loss, weathering life’s storms, and ever-changing landscape. She helps her clients transform their lives through 1:1 private consultations drawing from Massage & Energy Bodywork, Transformational Coaching & Breathwork, Grief Counsel, Spiritual Guidance & Spirit Communication with Loved Ones, Grief & Loss counsel, Breathwork, Nutritional Wellness.
Colleen also shares about her 5 Point Star System as part of her upcoming program called Crystallize Your Vision designed for entrepreneurs and creative visionaries to revitalize your life’s purpose and better navigate life’s storms by tapping into your intuitive brilliance and magnetically attract more vibrant health, love, money & magic. As a client of hers, I can attest to her amazing healing hands and spiritual intuition, and wisdom!
Visit Colleen at Colleen Wynia
Sandy Dow and I talk about the ways you can care for your nervous system and your soul and better manage the effects of stress and anxiety. Sandy walks me through a simple exercise to help ease anxiety for more calm and peace that you can practice anytime, anywhere. Sandy is a trauma-informed coach, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, author of the book Thriving in Chaos, and creator of her proven coaching method The Dow Effect. Her over forty years of experience in health care, addiction, youth mentorship, and performance coaching for artists and entrepreneurs providing guidance and education to people around the world couldn't be as important and as relevant as it is now as we all strive to transition through the stress and anxiety of the pandemic and our ever-changing world.
Visit Sandy at Sandy Dow
Lesia D. Kohut is a spiritual practitioner and self-proclaimed 'soul excavator' supporting her clients through the mindful, compassionate, and loving work of digging through and unearthing limiting beliefs, revealing Life’s most valuable treasure in the process - the Infinite Power, Creativity, and Resilience of one's True Self! We chat in-depth about Lesia's unique journey into quantum physics and how our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs create our reality and more!
Visit Lesia at Lesia Kohut
For Ame-Lia Tamburrini of Hum Consulting, all things are connected, and we humans are no exception. Ame-Lia shares her personal journey of how she came to find her voice and purpose in inspiring and facilitating meaningful dialogue for the purpose of increasing our sense of interconnection with each other and the world in order to create more harmony, unity, and momentum in our communities. Not an episode you want to miss! You will come away with a yearning to create and nurture more meaningful and harmonious conversations and connections and to find and use your voice for positive change.
Visit Ame-Lia at HUM Consulting
Tyler Hoffman, owner of OnPoint Employee Benefits is a true inspiration on how businesses can seamlessly give back to their communities without breaking the bank. Having grown up in the small town of Qualicum Beach, BC, and having the entire community support him as he pursued a career as a professional Baseball Umpire, he always felt a connection to community programs. That's why 2% of their net profits are invested back into community programs and organizations focused on conservation, sustainability, and youth development. So when businesses partner with him, they really are partnering with the community. OnPoint is also pending B Corporation status, which is a rare and certified seal of approval of a company making an impact.
Visit Tyler at On Point Benefits
Learn about B Corporation
A woman who walks her talk, Pamela Thompson is a #1 Best Selling Author, International Speaker, Global Health & Management Consultant and Facilitator and Leader in the realm of Feminine Leadership. Pamela shares how we as everyday changemakers can take small steps to make an impact in what you're passionate about and join the growing wave of 'wavemakers' in making our world a better place.
Visit Pamela at Pamela Thompson
Laureen Nowlan-Card is a Transformational Life Coach and Founder and Host at Women Leading Change Podcast. Laureen specializes in empowering women to lead for change and thrive in all areas of their life, especially after trauma and to reflect back to them how magnificent and powerful they actually are and can be.
Visit Laureen at Laureen Nowlan-Card
Yvonne Hogenes is a serial entrepreneur whose passion is empowering and liberating women of all shapes and sizes through her bra and undergarment businesses. I guess it's not hard to believe that the first undergarment companies were originally run by men and only a few sizes (and shapes) existed! Listen to Yvonne and how she talks about how her passion ignited and what she has been able to create and provide for women in the modern age as well as her other philanthropic ventures. Yvonne is Owner-Operator at Firma Energywear, Owner-Operator at TAB Custom-Fitted Bras, and Owner-Operator at Malary's Fashion Network and I'm so happy to share our talk with you!
Visit Yvonne at Firma Energy Wear
Amidst the turmoil going on in the world today, we as a planet are still faced with the ongoing challenge of being stewards of this planet, which is why this is a must-watch interview with Janis Carmena, founder of the #nostrawchallenge! Creative entrepreneur, passionate change-maker, and mom of two, Janis and her family are on a mission to stop the use of one-time-use plastic straws by offering reusable and compostable straws. I had the pleasure of chatting with her pre-COVID to learn the whats and hows of this very important and worthy mission and inspiring words to us everyday people on how we can make a difference.
Visit Janis at No Straw Challenge
Financial Advisor and multiple changemakers in the community Mike Reilly shares how and why we should be placing more priority on our financial present and future and the many ways he makes a difference in his local community and beyond.
Visit Mike at Your Financial Pilot
