What does a typical Thursday look like for you, starting from when you wake
up – to heading to bed?

I’ll begin by saying that I’m a Jill-of-All-Trades.

At the moment I have 3 jobs, volunteer at the Toronto Fashion Incubator as
the blogger/diarist (http://www.fashionincubator.com/diaries/index.shtml),
and write my fashion/fiction/news/gossip/comic/blog, Rags and Mags
(www.ragsandmags.com), which is illustrated by the talented Danielle Meder
(www.daniellemeder.com). I also have a band called Satan’s Candy
(www.myspace.com/satanscandyrocks) and every now and then I’ll produce a
fashion show for fun.

As you can imagine, I’m a bit busy. This is what I pack into a typical Thursday:

I try to wake up at 6am to work out. Sometimes this happens, sometimes not.
It depends  on if there was an open bar at the event the night before and if
I stayed up late writing about it.

Then I go to Job #1 at a branding company called Brand & Tonic
(www.brandandtonic.com). I’m managing the branding initiatives for the North
American launch of a fun European clothing store called FOX
(www.foxcanada.ca).

In the afternoon, I work as a Director’s Assistant for job #2 .

After that, I return home and do any of the following: practice my bass,
catch up on e-mail, research, and write for one of the blogs. Yes, often
this research involves going to fashion shows and store openings. I kind of
love it. Okay, I really love it. My days are usually fun.

What was your first job out of school?

I studied International Development and Urban Studies (I told you I was a
Jill-of-All-Trades!), and right after graduating, I landed the best job
ever.

I was an Urban Planner specializing in computer graphics and public
participation. A typical project involved traveling somewhere (e.g.
Zimbabwe, Brazil, or Balzac, Alberta) to map environmentally significant
areas and ask people their vision for a perfect community. It was pretty
fantastic.

After 5 years, I realized I wasn’t saving the world as I had hoped, so it
was time to make it look better. That’s when I pursued fashion and got into
film.

What are the 3 skills you require most to do your job well?

Since my experience is so varied, I’ll give you skills required to do any
job well:

1. Organization (lists, lists, lists!)
2. Effective Communication (listen to people and also make yourself heard)
3. Flexibility (I’m a planner by training, but I’m always ready for a
surprise)

What do you love most about your career?

I love that my career is a mosaic. I’ve had amazing experiences and have
done everything I wanted to do.

If a woman wanted to get into this business, what are your recommendations
of how they should start?

To start in any industry, I recommend volunteering. For the industries I’m
in, I recommend volunteering for the following agencies:

-Film: Toronto International Film Festival (www.tiffg.com), Women in Film
and Television (www.wift.com)

-Fashion: Toronto Fashion Incubator (www.fashionincubator.com), L’Oreal
Fashion Week (www.lorealfashionweek.ca)

-Urban Planning: Spacing Magazine (www.spacing.ca), Federation of Canadian
Municipalities (www.fcm.ca)

Do you have any warnings?

While volunteering is a good idea to gain experience, keep in mind that
nobody should take advantage of your kindness. Learn how to say no if you
are overwhelmed.

If you could try a different career on for a year, what would it be?

I’m on my way to trying them all.